Hunter x Shinobi
by Jineijin
Summary: After beating Greed Island, Gon and Killua use accompany to go to Ging. Instead, they and Bisky are transported to Kite, a man Gon knows. He brings them back to Konoha where they gain new friends & become shinobi. Having to search for Ging in an unfamiliar land, what challenges will they face? Especially when others from their world, friend and foe alike, start making appearances?
1. Departure x and x Arrival

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter or Naruto. Only this story.

Just to clarify a few things, this story is going to take place in the Naruto world but the actual plot isn't going to play out the same. Additionally, since a lot of feats in Naruto are inconsistent (Sasuke's speed feats), there are abilities that have almost no drawbacks for certain people (Naruto making 1000+ Shadow Clones), and plotholes that could've been easily avoided (Sasuke having the ability to copy jutsu but barely ever using it), I'm going to be making changes to balance things out. So please don't leave reviews saying things like 'oh that's not how that works' or 'that's not what happened in the series!' because this isn't Naruto or HxH, but my story using the characters.

Additionally, for the Hunter x Hunter side of things, the story is mainly going to go by the manga primarily, which isn't that different from the 2011 version. The main difference is that in the manga, Gon met Kite in the first chapter and was inspired to become a hunter by him while 2011 didn't really depict their relationship well, only slightly brushing upon Gon's backstory when Kite was introduced in the Chimera Ant Arc. If you haven't read the HxH manga, I highly recommend it. Even the parts you've already watched in the show. From the very first chapter, the characterizations are much more well done than both anime adaptations, especially for Gon and Killua.

Constructive criticism is welcomed. Enjoy the story!

* * *

 **Departure x and x Arrival**

* * *

"What will you say to Ging first when you meet him?"

"I'll introduce him to Killua of course! My best friend in the world!" Killua's heart nearly stops.

"C-cut it out!" Killua says. He could never understand how Gon could say those things without getting embarrassed. He was just giving him that clueless look!

Bisky, meanwhile, was crying her eyes out. "You know you're getting old when you start being sentimental," she says. "And to think at first I was going to ruin your friendship!" No surprise there.

"You were?!" Gon says. Killua laughs mentally. Of course the old hag would do something like that. Typical transmuter schemes.

"Yes, well, that's all in the past," Bisky says while wiping at the tears streaming down her face. "Anyway, I'm really going to miss you kids!"

"Then why don't you come with us? I could introduce you to Ging too!" Gon offers. Killua sees Bisky's face sober up in momentary contemplation before she turns her back on them.

"Nah... I'll pass," she says. "I'm not interested in men with kids." Maybe it was because they're both transmuters, but Killua knew the true reason as if he could read her mind.

 _"If I stay with them any longer, I'll get too attached."_ Despite this, he understands and respects her decision. Even if he might miss the old hag a lot. She was like the mother he never had after all.

"Oh... okay." Gon looks slightly sad but understanding. Seems he's caught on too. "Well, thank you for everything Bisky! We truly appreciate it!" he says.

"Osu!" Killua says. Bisky turns back, probably to get one last look at them before they go. She smiles softly and nods as if to say 'My pleasure.'

Gon looks at Killua for confirmation that he's ready. Killua nods and Gon raises a card in the air.

"Accompany on! NGIG!" That was when something strange happened. Instead of the normal instant take off that happened when accompany was used, a strange yellow aura shrouded not only Gon and Killua, but Bisky as well.

"What the hell is going on?!" Killua says.

"I don't know! I just used the card like normal!" Gon says. He looks really nervous but also guilty, as if he feels it's somehow his fault.

"How the hell did I get caught in this mess?! Can't you cancel the spell or something?!" Leave it to the old hag to remain calm.

"No there's no way t-" Before Gon could finish his sentence, the auras around them suddenly intensified. They all started floating slowly higher into the air.

"I don't like this! What will happen to my Blue Planette-chan?!"

"Can you be serious for once you old hag?!"

"Guys calm down! We can figure this ou-" At that moment, they all instantly vanished without a trace. They didn't even notice the very familiar figure that witnessed everything that transpired.

* * *

It was a very mundane day for Kite. He was casually sitting on a cherry blossom tree stump in front of a lake and fishing. For the past week he's gotten no leads and today was just supposed to be a day to kick back and relax a little. At least, that was the idea. What he didn't see coming was for a large mass of aura to suddenly appear above the lake and for three people to fall into the water. He was instantly on guard with his katana out and his crazy slot ability ready to be activated.

 _"That mass of energy didn't feel like chakra... it felt like nen."_ Kite thought as he surveyed the water for any sign of the people that fell in. _"Meaning these three could be nen users... most likely from my home world!"_ He watched as the three people, two young boys and a young girl, slowly emerged from underneath the water and started to argue with each other as they stepped onto land.

"Well MAYBE if you had gotten farther away from us you wouldn't have gotten pulled in hag!" said the white-haired boy. He wore a white V-neck shirt with a blue sweatshirt underneath, black shorts with white lines running down the sides as well as purple and grey sneakers. There were multiple white straps around his arms which connected to a dark red backpack. He had one of the palest skin tones Kite had ever seen, with cool blue eyes that seemed very aware but were currently filled with annoyance directed towards the girl.

"Well aren't you just a disrespectful little brat! I was a good enough distance away from you two and your stupid magic card!" This girl looked like she was dressed up as a princess for Halloween. Between her shining blonde hair and her bright pink eyes, pink dress and pink shoes, Kite was damn near blinded by the sight of her. Overall, she looked non-threatening. However, years of experience told him that she shouldn't be taken lightly because of her appearance.

Once he took a good look at the last boy, Kite's eyes widened in shock. That couldn't be who he thought it was right?

Gon was definitely not the same little boy that he had met and scolded on Whale Island all those years ago. He was now much taller and reached up to about Kite's chest. His spiky black hair was more pronounced, and he wore a white tank top with a mystical-looking necklace along with green shorts and boots. He also had a yellow backpack on with a fishing pole strapped to the side of it. What really caught Kite's attention, though, was the boy's amber eyes which were even more radiant than when he'd first seen them.

Gon sighed. "Damn... now my backpack is soaked!" He turned to look around and spotted Kite before his eyes widened considerably.

"Gon.. is that you?" Kite asked. What a dumb question. He knew that was him. He was the splitting image of his father, especially those eyes.

"Kite?!"

* * *

Meanwhile, back in a Greed Island simulation room, Elena was doubting herself for where she sent Gon and his friends. Even if it was brought upon by Ging's request.

 _"Could you set it so that Gon would fly to me if he used magnetic force but fly to Kite if he uses accompany?"_

 _"That's what he said but... does that rule still apply with where Ging and Kite are now?"_ Elena hasn't been able to pinpoint Ging's or Kite's exact location for years now. She knew they were still alive and that they were still out there somewhere, but it was in a place far beyond their own world. The only reason it was even within her ability to send them to Kite is because she had a preset nen condition that would only activate if Gon used accompany or magnetic force to "NGIG." It boosts the nen and transports them directly to the target which is much safer than having them fly into an unknown territory and possibly catch unwanted attention from anyone who sees them flying through the sky. She feels bad for sending Gon and his friends there with no clear way back and without even sending them to Ging, but there wasn't much she could do now. All because Ging was shy and a terrible father.

 _"Ging… I really hope you know what you're doing..."_

* * *

"A game? Yeah, Ging-san took me in there once. Can't remember what name I used though. Seems like he mislead you."

"Damn it! He got me again!" Gon looked peeved but more at himself than anything. Killua's eyes slid over to Kite and wordlessly acknowledged that this man was very cool looking. He had a tall, lean body that looked toned and had long flowing whitish-blonde hair that put Killua's curls to shame. He wore a large red cap as well as a light purple turtleneck, black pants with a weapon pouch strapped on one leg and finally, dark brown shoes. Despite being relaxed, he could tell that the man was very in tune with his surroundings and ready to move at a moment's notice. He stopped analyzing when Kite made eye contact with him.

"Oh, excuse my rudeness. My name's Kite, as Gon just said. I'm a Pro Hunter and also the student of Ging-san. Or at least, I was until I finished my training."

"My name is Killua." He saw Kite nod and look away from him. He followed his eyes and saw Bisky who was practically drooling and making googly eyes at Kite, clearly making the man uncomfortable. "Oh, that's Biscuit. Don't worry though, she's not a kid like us two are. She's actually an old hag in disguise and our mentor."

Bisky had the decency to stop ogling Kite long enough to be pissed. "Don't go spreading that around you damn brat! I'm 18 at heart!" Killua just smirked.

 _"I suppose anything is possible with nen but... what type of ability does she have? I'd guess a transmutation ability. Or maybe she just slowed down her aging extremely with Zetsu?"_ Kite shook his head before smiling. "Nice to meet you Killua and Biscuit-san." He promptly ignored the 'call me Bisky-chama!'

Gon, who had been deep in thought, suddenly stood up in surprise. "Wait! So you've already found Ging and trained under him?!"

Kite gave a slight chuckle in response and nodded. "Quite a while ago. Now, I can call myself a real hunter." He studied Gon's expression for a minute before asking, "Do you want me to tell you where he is?" Dead silence. Killua was sure that if he listened closely enough, he could hear the gears turning in Gon's head.

"...Nah," Gon says. "I'll find him myself."

Kite smiles. "Good answer. Although I don't think you're considering how hard that will be exactly. The situation is even worse than you thought."

"What do you mean?" Gon asks. Killua also looks at Kite in curiosity.

"Well I can't blame you for not noticing. To put things lightly, we're not exactly in familiar territory right now..." Kite says. He looks uneasy, like he has information that he's reluctant to tell them for their own sake. Killua doesn't like it.

"What does that mean? Please tell us Kite-san." Killua has a really bad feeling. One look at Bisky lets him know that she is now serious too and is preparing herself for bad news.

"You can just call me Kite, Killua," He says. "But anyways... I had to do a lot of crazy things to track Ging-san down.. and one of them includes following him here." Kite was being very cryptic and Killua didn't like it.

"And where is here?" Surprisingly, Bisky asked this in a no-nonsense tone of voice. So much for the ogling.

"Well... to be blunt... we, along with Ging-san, are somewhere in a different world right now."

...

"WHAT?!"

* * *

Somewhere in the world, a man with rugged clothes and amber eyes sneezed and wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"...Somebody's talkin' bout me... again..." For some reason, he felt like it had to do with Kite and his son. That wasn't a reassuring thought.

* * *

"What do you mean by a different world?" Killua asked. "Different world as in an unexplored part of our world? Or just a whole different world or dimension." He had read a lot about this kind of stuff but usually it was just part of a storyline in one of his brother's manga. Now that it's a real possibility, it was very unsettling.

"Both, kind of," Kite said. "The first in the sense that this world can be accessed from an unexplored part of our world, but it is still very much a different world. Dimension? I'm not sure." After seeing the confused looks on the other three's faces, Kite realized they weren't following. "Okay maybe I should explain better."

"Yes... please," Gon said. He looked like his brain was about to overheat.

"Well... would you believe me if I told you that the world we come from is only 10% of the entire world?" Gon looked shocked and made a surprised noise. Killua looked skeptical but intrigued. Bisky just nodded her head meaning that she already knew. "Well, it's true. The rest of the world is off the map and is home to other types of humans and other interesting but dangerous creatures. It's said that magical beasts also came from the outside world. They call it the Dark Continent."

"Wowww… so that's where we are? Ging is somewhere out here?" Gon asked. Killua couldn't help but notice that the boy was once again nervous but excited.

"We're not in the Dark Continent per se... it's more like the Dark Continent was a pathway to get to this world." Kite saw the confused looks again. "Listen. I got here by going through the Dark Continent and tracking Ging-san's whereabouts. I was in a boat flowing along the water when suddenly a large whale swallowed me from below before I even had time to react. The inside of the whale suddenly filled with aura and everything was bright for a moment. Next thing I knew, I ended up here, in the world of the Shinobi."

Shinobi. Killua knew what that was. A Shinobi was a ninja, like that guy Gon fought in the Hunter Exam, Hanzo! Did that mean Hanzo was from here too? Did he ever come back here after passing the exam? Does he know how to switch between worlds? So many questions and possibilities were going through Killua's head that he had to force himself to continue listening to the conversation.

"Shinobi huh? That sounds familiar..." After hearing Gon say that, Killua briefly considered reminding him of Hanzo, but it would be best to bring it up later.

"A Shinobi is a ninja, Gon. They're pretty much like Killua and his family but more low profile and have their own ninja villages and such. There's a lot in our world too!" While listening to Bisky, Kite hears something interesting.

"'Like Killua and his family?' What does that mean?" Kite asked.

"Oh, my full name is Killua Zoldyck." Killua saw Kite's eyes widen a fraction, not in fear, but surprise.

"I can't imagine the Zoldycks would be exactly happy that you've gone missing..." He sighed and Killua had to agree, immediately thinking of Illumi and his mother.

 _"At least this way I can hopefully be off their radar for a while. I wouldn't put it past them to find a way to make it here though."_ Killua thought.

"But anyways, yes Biscuit-san you are correct." Kite says, once again ignoring the 'call me Bisky-chama!' "However, ninjas are much more prominent in this world to the point where there are much more here than there are Hunters in our world." That really got Gon's attention. "There are Five Great Nations and each has it's own powerful shinobi village, with at least 10,000 ninja on active duty." Gon 'wowed', Killua whistled, and Bisky just looked surprised. "Ninjas are a real big thing in this world, and a lot of them are just as strong if not stronger than many Hunters."

"Does that mean that Ging has become a Shinobi himself because Hunters don't exist in this world? Or at least has befriended them?" Good question Gon, Kite thought.

"Honestly? I have no idea. He acts in this world very much like how he acts in our world: He just does what he wants. When I was travelling with him, he never stayed in one place too long and didn't bother trying to join any ninja village. But as for what he is now? No clue." Gon looked very contemplative after hearing this. "I myself am affiliated with a village though. I'm a shinobi from Konohagakure. But I have an agreement with the Hokage, the leader of the village, that allows me to move more freely like a hunter."

"So let's see. We're in a completely foreign land with a small group, no allies, big threats all around and limited resources and information. Not to mention the lack of money. Could we travel with you or stay at your village too? Even if it's just temporary to sustain ourselves?" Killua asked. On the inside, he was annoyed because he had tried so hard to run from assassin life and it seemed like he had no other choice but to do something very similar to it. He couldn't see himself doing a civilian job, especially not while he's with Gon.

"I could definitely bring you back to the village and vouch for you to the Hokage. I'm sure that he'll believe you're trust worthy since he already knows about my situation. And if he doesn't? He can just have one of his shinobi scan your memories." Killua didn't know how to feel about that last part. It sounded like a repeat of Pakunoda. "Not sure if he'll let you be ninja though. I was only able to convince the Hokage to become one because I impressed him with my skills. He says that since I didn't have chakra, I had to be very impressive to make up for it. If you're skills aren't up to par... well..."

"Chakra? What's that?" Gon asked. Killua could've sworn he'd heard about some type of spiritual practice with that name.

All heads turned to Bisky when she spoke. "I'm guessing that's the energy that shinobi use for their special abilities?" She looked intrigued. Kite nodded. "I've always found nen interesting and now I'm very interested to learn about this 'chakra'! Is it similar to nen? Is it as complex? Can people develop as creative abilities as they could with nen? What are the limits? Is ther-" Killua had to place a hand over Bisky's mouth to stop her. Kite could only chuckle.

"It's kind of similar to nen. It can be used to amplify and protect the body but it isn't as mentally influenced and interactive as nen is. No custom conditions or contracts. Instead, there are techniques called 'jutsu' that use chakra but can be learned by anybody. Instead of creating a unique power, focus is more on learning 'jutsu' that already exist. A lot of them exist, ranging from transformation jutsu to fire jutsu. But obviously it's completely possible for someone to create their own jutsu. Pretty interesting stuff. I'd say chakra can be more versatile if the user knows a lot of jutsu but nen is more creative by default and has the potential to be more versatile if it's well thought out because it's more interactive." Bisky looked even more intrigued, Killua looked analytical, and Gon for once didn't look ready to burst after a long explanation.

"Is there a limit to how many jutsu one can learn?" Killua asked.

Kite nodded. "Depends on their own potential. The more potential, the more jutsu they can handle. Kind of like nen. This is why a lot of shinobi usually learn jutsu in a specified area to become a specialist like a medic-ninja. I'd still pick nen over it though. Just feels more personal and has more potential."

Gon has had a contemplative look on his face for a while before finally speaking. "So... could we learn chakra too and add it to our nen?"

"Impossible. While the bodies of humans here and from our world aren't that different physically, we have different energy systems entirely. We have micropyles that aura is released from, they have chakra coils and what is known as the chakra network. There is nothing to learn because we just don't have the system for it just like they don't have the system to learn nen." Kite explained. Gon nodded and looked down deep in thought once again. "What is it Gon?" Killua and Bisky also looked at him.

"Well... I was just thinking... I'm sorry Bisky and Killua for getting you guys mixed up in this." Gon's voice sounded so guilty that it threw everyone else for a loop. "I was so caught up with finding Ging that I didn't even think abou-" Gon didn't get to finish because two hands smacked the back of his head. "Ow! What was that for!"

"You have nothing to be sorry about, idiot! You didn't know this was going to happen!" Bisky scolded him.

"But now you're stuck with me here in a dangerous place with people who sound really strong and have all these crazy abilities and-" Another smack.

"So just business as usual, right?" Killua asked with a smirk. Bisky made a sound in agreement and crossed her arms. Gon looked at them with surprise before smiling and nodding. He then stood up and turned to Kite.

"Kite... please take us to your village! At least until we can manage on our own." Kite looked at Gon for a moment before nodding.

"Do you plan on becoming a ninja? Or are you just going to the village to stay there as a citizen?" he asked. Killua and Bisky both looked at Gon for his decision.

"I... don't know," Gon says. "I wanted to be a Hunter because Ging is a Hunter and I wanted to find him... but you said Ging hasn't become a ninja... so should I have to? Do I need to become one to find him? Can you even be a hunter and a ninja at the same time? It doesn't sound right..."

Kite chuckles. "Wow Gon. So offensive." Gon looks at him confused for a moment before it clicks and he looks embarrassed.

"Sorry! I forgot you said you're a hunter and a ninja!" he says. Kite just smiles and waves his hand dismissively. "But even still you're not really a ninja. You said yourself that you and the village leader have an agreement that basically gives you the title but allows you to keep acting as a hunter."

"True. But I am still a certified ninja. I have to follow orders if given. Now granted, I could always go against orders and leave the village but that's hardly the wise thing to do." Killua looked at Kite and a question came to his mind.

"If we impress the Hokage or whatever enough, will we be able to get the same deal as you? Being certified ninja but able to roam around as we please?" he asked.

"Well let's go see, shall we?" Kite said as he started walking. "We're a good distance away but not too far. We should be there in a couple of hours if we run. Think you guys can keep up with me?"

"The real question is... do you think you can keep up with me?" Bisky asked before she turned to look at her students. "Don't disappoint me boys. If you do, I will find shovels and have you digging till you hit bedrock." She promptly turned and walked away while her students blanched at her. "Lead the way pretty boy."

Kite laughs. " _This woman is definitely older than she looks... maybe around my age,"_ he thought. "This way," he said before sprinting off. Bisky easily kept pace with him and the boys were a little ways behind them. He studied Killua in his peripheral for a moment. _"I can tell that this boy is a very loyal friend. He doesn't seem too keen on becoming a ninja, and I can only guess why, but it seems he's doing it to stick with Gon."_ He then studied Gon. _"Gon… I understand your dilemma. I faced a similar one. Constantly asking myself questions like 'What does it mean to be a hunter?' 'What does it mean to be a ninja?' 'Will being a ninja contradict me being a hunter?' 'Will Ging be disappointed if I become a ninja?' I get it. But you need to learn to make your own decisions without Ging-san's influence. Find the answers you seek and then come up with your own answer."_ He focuses back on the pathway in front of him.

 _"Your admiration and desire to please Ging-san... they're shackles to you."_

* * *

 **Chapter 1 End**

This is basically half of the beginning, chapter 2 will wrap up the introduction to the story and will be posted soon. While the main characters will mostly be Gon and Killua, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke will all become main characters as well over the course of the story. Thanks for reading!


	2. Hunter x and x Ninja

Thank you everyone who read and everyone who left reviews! This chapter completes the introduction to the story and I promise it only gets better from here on out! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter or Naruto.

* * *

 **Hunter x and x Shinobi**

* * *

They had been moving non-stop for a couple of hours now and were now close to the village, according to Kite. Gon was full of stamina, and one glance at Killua let him know that his friend was too. This reminded him of the hunter exam, and he let a fond smile spread across his face. It faded a bit when he thought about Leorio and Kurapika and how much he missed them. Killua was his best friend and all, but those two were the first companions he had met on his journey and they held just as much space in his heart as Killua. He knew they were adults and had their own things going on, but he still had planned on going to see them with Killua once they had finished Greed Island and after meeting with Ging. Instead, he never got the chance to meet Ging and was now stuck in a different world where he wasn't even sure if he would see them again. He had tried to think positively, but the thought of being stuck here made him uneasy.

What about Mito-san and Granny? What would they think? Would they miss him a lot? Would they blame Ging? Would Mito-san despise Gon for following his father to begin with? What about Hisoka? Gon still had to settle the score with him! The Troupe? What if they go after Kurapika again? Wing and Zushi! He'd planned to go visit them too! He wanted to see how much Zushi has improved! He never visited Hanzo's homeland! There was so much he hadn't done back home! He hadn-

"Gon, are you ok?" Gon looked over at Killua and saw the concern on his face. He smiled and nodded before focusing back on running. "You sure? You had a really pensive look on your face. Don't think too hard or you might explode," Killua joked. That made Gon laugh, a real laugh. He's right, he should try to stay positive. There had to be a way back, right? If anyone knew the answer, it was Ging!

He took a moment to look ahead at Kite who was running beside Bisky. Kite had been here for years and he didn't seem to be too bothered. Maybe he had settled in to this new world and made a life for himself? Or maybe there was just nothing for him in the world they came from? Gon didn't know. All this thinking and these unanswered questions were making his head spin. Normally, it was Killua's role to do the heavy thinking. But, Gon couldn't help it. This was a very confusing experience for him. He figured Killua was so calm because there wasn't really much for him back in their world, but didn't he miss Kurapika and Leorio too? Wing and Zushi? Didn't he ever want to see Canary, Gotoh, or any of his siblings again? His father and grandfather? Then again, Killua always had been good at staying calm.

Suddenly, Kite leaped up into the trees and started leaping across branches. "Travel is faster this way!" he said. "This is how Shinobi travel! Think of this as training!" Bisky, Killua and Gon all followed him through the branches, though Gon was having slight trouble with balance. He had done this all the time back on whale island and in the hunter exam, but he hadn't done it in a while. He attributed Killua's ease due to his assassin training being drilled into him, but he couldn't process how Bisky was jumping through the trees in _heels_. He couldn't help but watch her in fascination. Ever since he met her she had done nothing but amaze him. But with his attention focused on her, he ended up slipping on a branch and falling.

Killua instantly tried to grab him. "Gon!" His hand missed. Gon quickly pulled out his fishing pole and expertly wrapped it around a branch, allowing him to swing back up. Killua just looked at him exasperatedly. "Baka! Pay attention to what you're doing!" Gon just stuck out his tongue at him.

"Listen to Killua, Gon! You could've cracked your skull open or something!" Bisky scolded. Killua muttered something about old ladies always having a lecture ready and Gon chuckled lightly. His head had taken much harder impact. He still remembered the feeling of slamming head first into Netero's stomach from back during the Hunter exam.

"What's on your mind, Gon?" Kite asked. Gon looked at Kite questioningly. "You've been somewhat subdued for the past hour now. And I can tell that you're thinking a lot back there. Are you worried about something?"

Bisky looked back at Gon. She had also noticed a while ago but she decided she would wait till they were in the village to talk to him. No doubt this situation was a lot for the boy to take in.

"Well, I was just wondering..." Killua looked slightly sad for a moment, but he didn't know why so he continued. "Are we stuck here? Is there anyway back? You seem pretty comfortable." When he got no answer, he turned to Killua to ask what was wrong but was cut off by Kite.

"Yes and no," he said. "I myself do not know a way back. But since these two worlds are connected, it's very possible to get back. I know for sure because Ging-san knows the way back." Gon knew it! Ging had a hand in almost everything!

"If that's the case, then why didn't you ask him for the way back when you found him?" Killua asked. "You found him in this world and trained under him right? Why didn't you ask him to send you back at some point?" Kite was silent for a few moments before he spoke again.

"I never really had a family or any real friends back in our world. There was nothing for me to go back to anyway. But... that wasn't the reason," he said. "When Ging-san started training me, I had wanted to go back to our world so I could start being a real hunter. But, he told me he wouldn't send me back until I had completed his training and passed a series of tests." Tests? Gon was more eager to know about Ging's training and the tests than he was to know Kite's reason for staying. "During one of the tests, I had to go off on my own and hunt down a creature that Ging had told me about. While I was out looking for it, I encountered a man... or maybe not so much a man..."

Gon was confused. "What do you mean?"

"You mean a transgender?" Gon looked over at Killua even more confused. A trans-what now? Bisky looked like she was on the same page as Killua.

"Not exactly..." Kite replied. "It was a man—I think—but it was also a snake..." Gon's eyebrows raised. Sounded like some weird type of magical beast. "He had pale white skin, long black hair and gold eyes with purple markings around the eyelids. As soon as I noticed him sneaking up on me, I activated my ren and got ready to take him on. His whole face turned sadistic and he licked his lips with this long snake-like tongue. He moaned and said that I looked 'appetizing'..." Gon and Killua shared a look. Scratch magical beast—it sounded like Hisoka mixed with a snake. A truly frightening thought.

"What did you do?" Gon asked.

"I pulled out my katana and we fought for a while. I ended up having to use my nen ability just to stay alive. While I was physically stronger and faster than him, he had a whole bunch of strange abilities that stopped me from being able to take him out. Every time I hit him, he replaced himself with snakes." Gon 'wowed', Killua looked interested and Bisky looked grossed out. "He also had a lot of abilities that kept me at bay such as spitting fireballs and launching wind attacks. Eventually, he wore me down and I was basically at his mercy." Kite paused once again.

"But you got away right? Or else how else would you be here to tell the tale?" Bisky had a point.

"That's the thing—I didn't get away. Ging-san is the one who saved me. He appeared in front of me and knocked the snake bastard back himself. He was about to kill him too, but the man fled." Gon's eyes lit up at this. Ging just got more and more amazing to him! He was snapped out of his musings when Kite suddenly jumped down from the trees and landed on the ground, coming to a full stop. When the three landed next to him, he continued. "But I didn't get off scotch free... Before Ging-san got there, I received a little 'parting gift' from that man." Kite pulled down the collar of his turtleneck to reveal a mark right on the junction of his neck and shoulder. The mark consisted of three black crescent moon shapes all surrounded by a black ring. "He somehow extended his neck and bit me with his fangs, and this mark was left behind. It's been a pain ever since."

Gon knew there was more to it than that but Killua beat him to it. "What does it do? And how does this connect to you choosing to stay in this world?"

"Other than cause neck pains and give me occasional headaches? It tries to corrupt my mind." Gon and Killua were confused, but Bisky had already predicted it would be something like that. "You see, this is what's known as a curse seal. The curse is that it is designed to slowly corrupt the mind of the user so they will act according to the creator's will. The seal is filled with that man's chakra and acts as an energy amplifier when it is activated. It grants power in exchange for falling prey to one's inner darkness and becoming submissive it." Killua shivered. This reminded him a lot of what Illumi did to him in the final phase of the hunter exam. Forcing him into submission by drawing out his inner darkness. He didn't like this, and he was sure as hell glad he wasn't the one with that seal. "Luckily for me though, there wasn't much darkness in my heart to prey upon. I learned to control it relatively easy and instead all it ended up doing was becoming a tool for me to use. I still try not to have it activated for too long though, lest it actually start having a toll on my mind like it did for others."

Gon had been listening intently and was surprised at this. "Others? There were more targets than just you?"

Kite nodded. "Yes. It was me and a lot of others. The man had been experimenting on people in Konoha to perfect the technique and a lot of them were failures. The victims eventually lost their minds and had to be killed. Only me and one other woman in the village got the seal and survived, even learning to utilize it. I'm sure there are people outside the village with the seal too, but I can't speak for how many. But in short, the reason I'm staying here is to track that man down and find a way to remove the curse marks. For both myself and others."

Bisky hummed. "So the man is from the village we're now heading to. I'm guessing he either left or was kicked out?" Kite nodded and said it was the second one. "Still, I'm sure you know more about that man, especially since he's from the village you're affiliated with. What's his name?"

"Orochimaru. He's one of the legendary Sannin, a group of three very powerful ninja. But he apparently became obsessed with learning jutsu and acquiring power to the point where he began doing more and more gruesome experiments under the radar of the village. He was a Hokage candidate as well, but I heard that another shinobi being chosen over him is what caused him to fall into this downward spiral to begin with. He probably attributed him not being chosen to be Hokage as him being weak, so he began looking for ways to obtain the ultimate power. By doing so, he went against the rules of the village and the Hokage which was unacceptable and considered treason."

"Is that what being a ninja is all about?" Gon asked quietly. The other three turned to looked at him. "Always following the rules of the village and the Hokage? Is that what it means to be a ninja? They're meant to get stronger and learn all these special techniques... but just to serve their village?" He wasn't angry or even upset. He was genuinely trying to understand, Kite noted. "I mean, I know he did bad things with the experiments... but still. This is why I had a hunch that this would be a bad idea... it's just too different from being a hunter! They're like complete opposites!"

Kite, seeing Gon's inner conflict, decided to help him out. "Gon, what does it mean to be a hunter to you?"

"Being a hunter means you hunt for your dream!" Gon immediately answered, mind wandering. "Leorio dreams to become a doctor! Kurapika dreams to recollect his clan's eyes! Bisky dreams to get jewels! Killua dreams to find what he wants to do! I dream to find Ging! Every real hunter is always on the hunt for something!" Kite was pleased. Good answer. That was the first Hunter commandment, after all. "Whether it be money, bounties, or even food, every true hunter is going after something! But for ninja... it sounds like they have no will of their own. They just take orders and follow the will of the Hokage without ever going against it. Like a tool. I'm no tool, and I'm not good at following orders." Gon felt Killua's eyes on him. "I'm a hunter, Kite. I just don't see myself being a ninja."

Kite looked at him for a few moments before smiling. "You have the heart of a hunter. You're definitely Ging-san's son." Gon's eyes lit up at this. "And that's exactly why you should become a shinobi." At Gon's confused look, Kite continued, "Don't you think becoming a shinobi would be the smartest route to finding Ging-san? This is an unfamiliar world and it isn't as easy to navigate. There are no cars, blimps, or anything like that here. Computers and TVs exist, but can't be accessed by the general public. No phones either. A shinobi village will give you access to more information, especially if you ask the Hokage to keep a look out for any potential leads. It also can be a place where you can train and get stronger without having to fend for yourself outside a ninja village. There's a lot of powerful people in this world and there's no doubt in my mind that you will get into many altercations along the way. All the more reason for you to take this time to grow as much as you can. And like I said, I have an agreement with the Hokage that lets me stay outside the village and act on my own. You might get the same in the future."

"He's right Gon," Killua said. "Think of this as a test from your old man. If you can't handle being a shinobi, you're not willing to do everything you can to find him." Gon's eyes widened in understanding. He didn't even think of it like that! He was too busy thinking Ging would be disappointed in him becoming a shinobi. "You becoming a shinobi won't make you any less of a hunter. Especially because you're doing it to reach your goal."

Gon suddenly tackled Killua in a hug. "Thanks Killua! You're amazing! I didn't even think of that!"

"Oi! Get off, stupid!" Killua was heavily embarrassed. Kite and Bisky both smiled. They really did make a good team.

"So, are you ready to get a move on?" Kite asked. "The village should only be a few minutes away."

"Yea! Let's go!" Gon said before sprinting off.

Kite sighed. "He doesn't even know where he's going..." He ran to catch up with Gon while Bisky and Killua followed.

 _"Good... at least he's happy again..."_ Killua thought with a small smile. Bisky looked at him knowingly and he just blushed before calling her a hag and running. That didn't end well.

* * *

"Wowwwww!" Gon said in amazement as he gazed up at the large village doors and walls as well as the vast amount of buildings he saw inside. The walls and buildings weren't as tall as some of the taller buildings in Yorknew City, but were still big none the less. And on top of that, the village had a much warmer atmosphere than he had anticipated from a shinobi village. Everywhere, there were people walking and talking, kids playing, and just homely vibes in general! It reminded him slightly of life back on Whale Island.

"This looks like a village straight out of one of my brother's favorite manga." Even though he tried to sound unimpressed, it was clear from his eyes that Killua wasn't expecting this either.

"Oooooh I wonder if they sell jewels here! Kite-kun do they? Do they?!" There goes Bisky.

Kite sighed deeply and Killua empathized with him on a spiritual level. "I don't know Biscuit-san." He once again ignored the 'Call me Bisky-chama!'. "You can find out after we go see the Hokage and discuss business." He started walking and lead the three through the village. They all received odd looks, no doubt because of their strange outfits and appearance. Not to mention their clothes were still slightly damp from falling in the water. Thanks to their above average senses, they could hear people mumbling about them.

"Oh my god! Who is that man! He's soooo handsome!"

"I know right! I've only seen him here one time before! I wish I could marry him one day!"

"Forget him! What's with the fake princess and the kid that looks like it could be his son?"

"That little girl kinda looks like she could be his child too... but what about the black haired kid?"

"Yea! And why are his shorts so short? Is that age appropriate? He looks like child bait!"

 _"So much for this being a welcoming atmosphere,"_ Gon thought.

Killua, on the other hand, was about to snap at them for talking about all of them when they were right there and talking badly about Gon. Gon put his hand on his shoulder and shook his head, calming Killua down. Bisky was too busy looking around for a jewel shop to care what the villagers were saying and Kite just kept his hat covering his eyes and kept walking. Soon enough, they reached the Hokage Tower.

* * *

"So... basically, three more people from your world suddenly appeared in front of you, they use the same 'nen' energy that you do, they're looking for the man who trained you, and they want to become shinobi with the same deal as you so they can search for him better?" Kite nodded. Hiruzen sighed. It was a good thing he dismissed his ANBU guards and activated a seal that made the walls soundproof.

He dragged his eyes over to the three kids standing behind Kite. The black haired boy held himself with determination but nervousness and also a bit of curiosity. The blonde-haired one appeared very unassuming, but he could tell that it was faked. Though, he didn't think she was a threat. She probably just uses outward appearance of weakness to have potential enemies underestimate her—a useful tactic. Lastly, the white haired boy held himself with a silent wariness and distrust that he guessed was just a part of the boy's nature.

He considered having Inoichi check them just to be on the safe side, but he decided against it. He would do anything to protect his village, but he trusted Kite. Ever since the man arrived, he had done nothing but good for the village and had also been a victim of his former student. He would still keep an eye on the kids with his crystal ball though.

"I know they're young, but they have already experienced real battles and been in many life or death situations," Kite said. On the way to the village, Gon and Killua had told him about their Greed Island adventures, encounters with the Phantom Troupe, their time at Heaven's Arena and what their Hunter exam was like. It was safe to say the kids were tough and had been through a lot in the past year. "I'm not asking you to start them off at the same rank as me, but at least consider adding them to the shinobi ranks. Having extra ninja isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially ones with unique abilities like them."

Hiruzen chuckled. "Oh, don't worry Kite-kun. I've already decided to allow them to be shinobi. I can tell they are capable." Before Gon could start cheering, he continued, "However, I'd like to start them out from genin. You see, in three weeks, the current academy students will be taking their tests to become genin. A written test and a practical test. I would like these kids to take time to get caught up and study for the written exam. Their physical capabilities, strategy, and nen will be tested in the practical exam. I'm afraid I can't start them out as chunin because they would have to take the actual chunin exams which will be held in this village in a couple of months. They can start off as genin now so they can at least have a steady source of income in the meantime."

All Gon could think was, _"Study? Written exam?!"_ He felt a foreboding feeling arising in him. _"Is this what Hanzo had to go through? That's not what he told me during our fight!"_ Then again, he had been too focused on the pain of his newly broken arm to fully listen to Hanzo's ramblings about his ninja training.

Killua looked over at Gon and mentally sighed. _"Oh boy... he's panicking."_ He looked over at Bisky and saw her deep in thought. Ever since they found out they were in a different world, she had been doing a lot of alternating between acting normal and being silent and seemingly deep in thought. Killua didn't know what to make of it. She was a transmuter like himself after all. You never know what one of them are up to.

"I understand, Hokage-sama." Kite said.

"Kite-kun, I thought I told you to call me Hiruzen or at least Sarutobi-san." The Hokage said with a chuckle. "While you are always welcome here, this is not your home world. I'm sure using such formality to address a village leader in a foreign world has to feel quite strange. Just think of me as a friend."

"Nonsense Hokage-sama. It is true that I am not from here, but I still highly respect you and the formality is my way of expressing that."

Hiruzen just chuckled again before taking a drag from his pipe. "Suit yourself. Though, I will get you to let up one day, Kite-kun." He then turned to the others. "What are your names?" After they all introduced themselves, Hiruzen found himself already taking a liking to this Gon boy. His enthusiasm reminded him a lot of Naruto, but it seemed to be much more genuine and to a bigger extent. "Gon-kun, Killua-kun, and Biscuit-chan, eh? Alright."

He pulled out a pen and wrote two different notes before handing them to Kite. "Luckily for you, a few people just recently moved out of an apartment building in favor of buying houses. Take this there and show the lady at the front desk this note and they should get you kids situated. Kite already has an apartment so he's fine." He turned to look at Gon and Killua. "You boys don't mind sharing an apartment, do you?" They shook their heads 'no.' "Good. I figured it would be better to save money. One last thing," he said while writing another note and handing it out. "Take this note to the library and look for the books listed. It's the textbooks you need to study for the written exam. I also wrote down important topics you should know such as shinobi laws."

"Thank you Hokage-sama!" Gon, Killua and Bisky said at the same time while bowing. Well, almost at the same time. Killua, not used to having manners, started a bit late.

"Well, if that is all..." Before Hiruzen could finish, he was suddenly cut off by Gon.

"Hokage-san…" he started. He looked unsure whether to keep going and Hiruzen just waited for him to continue. After a short pause, he looked up with determined eyes. "What does it mean to be a shinobi?" Killua and Bisky had been around Gon long enough to not be surprised at all by his question. Kite was slightly surprised, having thought they already discussed this in the forest. But then he realized that Gon wanted to hear different viewpoints from different people. The Hokage was a no-brainer to ask.

Hiruzen put down his pipe and met Gon's eyes for a few moments. The boy didn't even blink. "What does it mean to be a shinobi, eh?" He chuckled. "That's a tough question my boy. Different people have different answers. But that's exactly why you asked me isn't it?" Gon nodded. Hiruzen sat back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling, contemplative. "For a lot of people, mainly those in other villages, being a shinobi means to be a tool for the village. Everything you do is to follow the orders and ultimately be a human weapon following the commands of your leader. You carry out your mission by any means necessary. Even if it means sacrificing yourself or your teammates. To be a shinobi is to be a means to an end. No different from the kunai and shuriken we use as lethal weapons." One glance over at the boys let him know that they didn't like that.

It was clear as day that Gon didn't like the idea of being used as a tool and sacrificing comrades for the whims of the village, and Hiruzen figured Killua felt the same. What he didn't know was that Killua was uneasy because it sounded _exactly_ like what it meant to be an assassin of the Zoldyck family. It's like all this time he's been running in a circle, only to come back to the start. Killua looked over at Bisky and still couldn't tell what was on her mind.

"But," Hiruzen started again, "Not in this village." Once he saw the boy's questioning looks, he continued, "This village believes in something called 'The Will of Fire', a philosophy created by the First Hokage, one of the founders of this village. 'The Will of Fire' states that the entire village is one family and every Konoha shinobi with this in their heart shall love, cherish, and protect the village no matter what, just as the past generations have done before them. This also extends to protecting all comrades and loved ones, not using them as tools and sacrificing them." He saw Gon start smiling in admiration and Killua look taken aback. "This is what gives Konoha shinobi the strength and spirit to keep fighting against all odds, even when things seem grim. In short, the way of the Konoha shinobi is to love and protect. That's why there's no other shinobi like us." He looked at Gon in particular. "It's up to you to decide what your ninja way will be. Whether it's to serve, protect or something else entirely is all up to you."

Gon looked at his hand and made a fist. "To love and protect..." He mentally went through all the people he cared about. Mito-san and Granny. Killua and Bisky. Kurapika and Leorio. Wing and Zushi. Kite and Ging. There were a lot of people he cared about and he wanted to protect them no matter what. They all make up _his_ village. He looked at the Hokage. "I was worried that being a ninja wasn't exactly cut out for me... but I think I get it now. I'm a hunter... I'll always be a hunter at heart. Hunters are driven, always hunting for their dreams. I thought I could never be a ninja, someone who settles and serves. But now I see... that I've had the 'The Will of Fire' of a Konoha shinobi long before I even came here!" He smiled. "Hunter and ninja... I don't have to pick one or the other because both are different sides to me... they make me whole!" Everyone in the room smiled at Gon. The boy just shined too bright. "Thank you Hokage-sama. I feel like I've learned a lot from you and I understand myself a lot better!" He held up his fist. "The Will of Fire... that'll be my ninja way!"

* * *

 **Chapter 2 End**


	3. Preparation x and x Purpose

Thank you to everyone who reads and everyone who leaves reviews! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter or Naruto.

* * *

 **Preparation x and x Purpose**

* * *

It was a beautiful morning in the village of Konohagakure. Everywhere you looked, people were walking and making their rounds for the day. Shop owners opened up shop. Restaurants switched their signs to "open." And, like clockwork, ninja were once again chasing a little blonde boy across the village rooftops.

"HAHA! Too slow!" the boy said as he dodged another ninja's attempt to grab him. He had slightly tanned skin with deep blue eyes and three whisker marks on each cheek. His navy blue t-shirt and blue sandals starkly contrasted his bright orange pants, bright yellow hair and the green goggles on his forehead. "You're just mad that you can't pull off the things I can!"

"Get back here Naruto!" said Ninja #1.

"You can't keep pulling stunts like this!" said Ninja #2.

"We're taking you to the Hokage! If you keep resisting you'll be in serious trouble!" said Ninja #3.

Yeah right. The old man had barely scolded him for way worse pranks, so why would he seriously punish him just for throwing colored smoke bombs in people's shopping bags?

Naruto looked back and stuck out his tongue mockingly. "You'll never take me alive bastards!" he said before throwing a smoke bomb, jumping off the roof to the ground below and using transformation jutsu to turn into an old woman. He sat on a nearby bench and waited until the Ninja left the area to drop the jutsu and start making his way home.

 _"Lost them easily again. And they're supposed to be full-fledged ninja? Give me a break!"_ he thought as he walked. Now he was just bored and was getting nothing but annoyed and disgusted looks from all the villagers around him. _"Here we go again... There's just no end to it huh?"_ Sadly, he had good enough hearing to understand what they were mumbling about him.

"Did you hear what that brat did this time?" Oh boy.

"I did... the demon set off bombs in people's shopping bags! Typical!" Smoke bombs. They left out the smoke part, but Naruto didn't bother correcting them.

"Why does the Hokage continue to let him stay here? He's such a nuisance!" He asks himself that everyday.

"Not to mention downright dangerous! Who knows when those stupid pranks will turn into murders!" Why do they think that?

"He's just biding his time acting like a little kid until he's ready to strike!" Why don't they get it?

"They need to put a leash on him like the animal he is..." Isn't he a person too?

"I wish somebody would just kill him already. Or better yet, he should kill himself. He's such a nuisance!"

That last line caused Naruto to instantly tune out his surroundings and keep his head down. He started walking faster and faster until he was at his favorite swing in front of the academy. Even on the weekend, his time off, he can't help but come back here when he feels himself getting sad. Going home is no good, it feels empty and his landlord is always pestering him. He refused to cry this time so he settled for just sitting on the swing and looking down at his feet, thinking. Thinking about what he possibly could've done to deserve this.

After a while of moping, he went back home and ate a cup of instant ramen and contemplated what he was going to do with himself. Pretty soon, he would be a ninja. One step closer to reaching his dream of becoming the Hokage. One step closer to being acknowledged and changing all the negative opinions about him. But he wasn't getting any closer to being Hokage by doing pranks and feeling sorry for himself. And yet, he always found himself doing those exact things to fill the void. After throwing the empty cup in the trash, Naruto got started on his daily exercises. As he did his one hundred push-ups, the one thought that kept him going was the vision of him being Hokage surrounded by people who love him.

* * *

Around this same time, in the near empty Uchiha clan compound, a raven haired boy was standing on a dock before a small lake. He wore a high-collared blue shirt with a red and white fan on the back, white shorts, white armguards and shinguards with blue straps, and blue sandals. He repeatedly went through the same sequence of hand seals before blowing a steady stream of fire from his lips. After one last time, he became slightly satisfied.

 _"Ok... I've finally gotten this and the phoenix flower jutsu down well enough that I can start focusing more on learning other techniques and improving my overall abilities."_ He began making his way to leave the compound. _"Having a wide array of skills is essential to becoming powerful. I'm sure that man had mastered this jutsu and plenty others before I'd even got started. I'm way behind."_ If one was watching, they would've seen his eyes harden in dark resolve. _"But I can't give up. I must kill Itachi by my own hand if it's the last thing I do. I have no other purpose but that."_ Unfortunately, he didn't notice anyone approaching him until it was too late.

"Hi Sasuke-kun!" Great. It was this pink-haired fangirl again. He slowly looked over at her and was almost disgusted by how much she was smiling. He looked away from her and kept walking with the hope that she would get the hint and leave him alone. As if that ever worked.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked after a while of her silently following him. Sakura looked unsure of herself for a moment before mumbling something about going on a date. Oh. Nothing of importance. Go figure. "Not interested. Leave."

"But Sasuke-kun you look like you could just use some company right now!" When he turned to look at her coldly, she flinched and tried to correct herself. "Not that you need me or anything.. but I thought it would just be nice if I tagged along wherever you're going bec-"

"Enough." Sasuke gritted out. This girl has been getting on his nerves for a while now. It was even worse because she wasn't like this at the beginning of the academy. She was shy until she broke out of her shell and started acting like the other ones. "Do as you like but don't expect me to entertain you or whatever you had in mind. I'm just going to buy something." He turned and walked away without sparing her another glance. Sadly, he could still hear her footsteps right behind him.

Sakura, meanwhile, had a downcast look on her face. Ever since she developed a crush on Sasuke, she had tried nonstop to get his attention. She tried to grow out her hair to please him. She tried to get good grades to please him. She even went as far as to cut off her friendship with Ino because of their conflict over the boy, even if that wasn't the only reason. But he doesn't seem to be warming up to her.

She chanced a glance up at Sasuke. Honestly, she didn't really have as big of a crush on him as she used to. It was more of a curiosity at this point. She had heard rumors about what happened to him, but she didn't know the whole truth. There was this darkness and mysteriousness about him that she was drawn to for some reason. She found herself wanting to know more about him. She shook her head. Should she even be focused on this right now?

 ** _"Yes."_** Great. Now her inner was awake. Wasn't it a bit too early? _**"Hey! Don't ignore me! HEY!"**_ Sakura promptly ignored her.

They had finally made it to a small weapons shop which Sasuke entered without a word. Sakura followed him inside and gasped. All around her was an array of interesting weapons in tiptop condition. Kunai, shuriken, senbon, swords, paper bombs—you name it, it was there. She had never been in a weapons store before, the academy provided them with all the basic ninja tools they needed. Sakura looked back at Sasuke and saw that he was speaking to the man behind the counter.

"Ah! Sasuke-san! What will it be this time?" The man asked.

"Two Demon Wind Shuriken and some more ninja wire." Sasuke said, already pulling out money. The man quickly went in the back room to fetch the weapons while Sakura just stared at Sasuke in amazement.

"Sasuke… how do you know how to use those weapons? Those aren't exactly basic, we didn't even really learn how to use them in the academy!" The class had briefly gone over what they were and read in the textbook what they were used for but had never actually gotten any hands on practice. Did Sasuke have an outside teacher?

Sasuke looked at her in something between annoyance and disappointment. "Have you never thought of teaching yourself? We have access to a whole library filled with books on Shinobi life and skills." It was true. Sakura, being a bookworm herself, had seen them in the library every time she went. Though, she usually just ignored them and settled for her cheesy romance novels. "I don't know what your motivation is, but if you truly want to be a shinobi I suggest you put in extra training. Enemies aren't going to baby you because you 'only learned the basics in the academy.'" At that, the man reentered with the weapons and Sasuke turned to face him, leaving Sakura to her thoughts.

Of course, Sasuke was right. They only had two weeks left at the academy before they graduated and became real ninjas. That thought both excited and scared Sakura. Excited because she was the top scoring kunoichi in her class when it came to intelligence, hand signs and chakra control. Since Sasuke was the rookie of the year, she had a hunch that she would be put on a squad with him. It scared her though because it meant that she wouldn't be a kid anymore and would be a real ninja dealing with real ninja things like fighting enemies. She knew she would have teammates and wouldn't have to fight alone but she felt like she wasn't ready.

After all, she didn't even have any real motivation for becoming a ninja. She was just a girl from a civilian family whose parents only humored her request to join the academy because they thought it was a temporary phase. To be honest, it probably WOULD have been a temporary phase if she hadn't developed a crush on Sasuke and a rivalry with Ino. Those two things, she realized, are what kept her on this path all this time. But now that she thought about it, they were very shallow reasons. Were they worth the risk of being thrown into a dangerous world and potentially losing her life? Sasuke didn't even care about her and Ino was stronger than her.

"What can I do for you young lady?" The man at the counter suddenly asked. It took Sakura a second to realize he was talking to her.

"Oh! Me? I... um..." Sasuke was staring at her blankly. "Nothing. I just came here with Sasuke-kun. Sorry."

"Scratch that." Sasuke said. Sakura wondered what he meant, but he just turned to the man at the counter. "Could you get some ninja wire for her? I'll pay." Sakura's heart swelled at his kindness until Sasuke gave her a look that clearly said 'don't get the wrong idea.'

Once the man left, it was dead silent until Sakura mustered up the courage to speak. "Sasuke-kun… why?" Sasuke stared silently for a few moments, making her blush, before he turned away.

"You're weak." Wow. Sakura already knew that but hearing Sasuke say it so plainly hurt. She had to try harder to tune out Inner, who was raging in her head. "But that's going to change. Why? Because since you have the highest kunoichi grades in our class, you're probably going to be placed on my team. I don't want a teammate that can't handle themselves in any way," he said before looking back at her. "At least this way, you can use ninja wire and weapons to learn to make traps and provide support instead of battling up front. Holding your own in an actual battle would be asking too much of you."

Sakura knows for a fact that that's the most Sasuke has ever spoken to her at once. But before she had a chance to really process what he said, the man came back with the weapons in a bag and handed it to her. After paying, Sasuke walked out of the shop and she followed. They were now walking in silence in the direction of the Uchiha Compound.

After a few minutes, Sakura spoke. "So... Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn."

"What do you think I should learn in order to be a better teammate to you?"

It was silent for a moment before he replied. "Things that would help you stay out of my way. For starters, make sure you're good at the substitution jutsu. Work on your speed so you can be better at running away. Not much else I'm asking from you." Sakura's heart sank at how little faith he had in her and her eyes dropped low.

 _"Is that all I am to him? Just someone in his way?"_ Inner was getting louder, but Sakura kept pushing her to the back of her head. She looked up at Sasuke's back curiously. _"In his way of what though? Is he trying to just keep me safe.. kind of?"_ Sakura felt like there was a lot more to Sasuke than she saw on the surface and she didn't know what to think. But she did know one thing.

She knew she couldn't just settle for what he told her to do.

 _"The reason why I'm a nuisance to him is because he sees me and probably every other girl in our class as weak."_ She thought with a finger resting on her lip. _"A bunch of girls with good looks and grades don't matter to him. If anything, he would be interested in someone who proves their usefulness where it counts!"_ Ignoring the fact that she had been missing such a simple conclusion for years, Sakura smiled. _"When we become ninja, that's when my chance will come to get him to acknowledge me and maybe even start talking to me. My chance to understand him more. Until then, all I can do is train. I heard Genin only do D-rank missions at first... meaning we probably won't be on a real mission for a while. I have time! I have to use it wisely."_

Unbeknownst to her, Sasuke already knew the gist of what she was thinking. She was going to use surpassing his expectations as motivation to improve her ninja skill. That's exactly what he wanted. He wasn't lying when he said he didn't want a useless teammate and he would do whatever it takes to get her to become more capable. At least he wasn't stuck with someone like Naruto.

Once they made it to the entrance to the Uchiha compound, Sakura stopped. "Sasuke-kun…" Sasuke turned slightly to look at her. "Thanks for letting me come with you and for buying me this. I'll get better, I promise! You'll be impressed!" Sasuke smirked and Sakura blushed.

"I'm counting on it," he said before walking away. Sakura watched him go for a few moments before turning away herself. It was still early in the day and she now had something to do. Next stop: the library.

* * *

"For the last time, kenjutsu is sword-fighting not illusion techniques! Illusions are genjutsu! How many times are we going to go over this Gon?"

"Well this is all too much to learn at once! It'd be better if I slowly learned one at a time instead of just going over all of them so fast!"

Killua sighed. Gon was by no means stupid. Childish, naïve, and just plain weird—but not stupid. The problem was that he was more of a hands on kind of learner which is why they had been in a library for the past week with Gon still getting confused by the same concepts. Bisky had left some time ago to go eat lunch and Kite was off God knows where while Killua tried to tutor Gon as much as he could. Which was, as he was beginning to see, not very much.

"Gon. Just think of illusions for gen and swords for ken. Ninjutsu are like hatsus and taijutsu is hand-to-hand combat. There is a technique to memorizing things."

"I know! I know! But you're acting like that's all there is to memorize! They want us to memorize all these shinobi laws and regulations and history and ughh" Gon's head fell down on the desk while smoke came out of his ears. "Becoming a hunter didn't involve all this studying! It was all hands on experience! It's like homeschooling with Mito-san all over again..."

Killua felt for him. He, too, was getting bored with just reading in a library everyday and memorizing material from the books the Hokage had told them to read. But he found it fortunate yet an odd twist of luck that not only did people in this world speak the same language, but the writing in their books were almost the same as in their world. And if there was anything different, Bisky and Killua could decipher it.

"Hey look on the bright side..." he started, "At least we don't need to learn as much of the stuff on chakra since we don't use it. I heard that most of the academy's teachings are based on chakra and ninjutsu. Since we're skipping over most of that and only learning what we need to know, it's not as bad." Bisky had taken it upon herself to learn in depth about chakra though. She found it very interesting, apparently.

"But still! We've been given three weeks before we have to take that written exam and practical exam. We only have two weeks left! I'm sure we can pass the practical exam, especially since we have Bisky on our side. But the written one is really stressing me out..." Gon said. As much as Killua hated to admit it, Gon at this rate was going to fail. Maybe he should find another way to help him learn.

He sighed and got out his chair to stretch but accidentally collided with someone behind him. He turned around and saw that he had knocked a girl to the floor. "Hey! Watch it!" she yelled.

Her most obvious trait was her long pink hair with a red ribbon tied over the top of her head. She also had emerald eyes and was wearing a red dress with dark green shorts and blue sandals. Compared to the other people he'd seen here, this girl looked very outlandish. "Oh, sorry. Didn't see you there," he said simply before turning back to Gon. "Anyways..."

"Anyways? That's it? You knock a lady down and all you do is give a half-assed sorry and then dismiss her?" the girl said while standing up and crossing her arms indignantly. "You could've at least helped me up!" _**"Break this bastard's nose!"**_ A tempting idea, but overboard, Sakura thought.

"Oh." He once again turned back to Gon. "Anyways..." Killua smirked and laughed mentally when he heard her growling behind him.

Gon laughed nervously. "Killua… it's not nice to provoke people." Before Killua could retort, Gon turned to the girl. "Don't take it personal, he's like that with everyone. But I'm Gon! And this is Killua! What's your name?" he said with a smile.

Sakura found herself blushing at the cuteness of this boy. His smile and his eyes were just too bright. It took her a moment to get over both their weird names and the boy's shine before she stuttered out "S-Sakura. Sakura Haruno."

"That's a beautiful name! It suits you perfectly too!" Sakura didn't know if he was doing this on purpose, but she felt her blush deepening. Even Inner was gushing at him. She saw Killua's shoulders tense, but she wasn't sure why. "You should sit with us Sakura! I always like making new friends!" No matter how cute this boy was, she was here with a purpose she didn't want to delay any longer. She had to improve herself. It was already long overdue. Even if she didn't know exactly why she was doing it.

"I would like to be friends... but sorry, I can't right now. I came to the library with the purpose of bettering myself. I'm becoming a ninja in two weeks you see..." Gon looked amazed and Killua turned around to look at her in interest.

"Wow! You're going to be a ninja? Us too! We're studying for our written test right now!" At this, Sakura had to take a closer look at the boys. What did he mean? She had great memory and she was sure she never saw them at the academy or even in the village a day in her life. She hadn't heard about shinobi who were homeschooled before becoming genin either... was he messing with her?

At her skeptical look, Gon explained more. "You see, we're new to the village and just got here last week. But we have a special agreement with the Hokage that lets us become ninja at the same time as you guys as long as we learn stuff like the shinobi laws and all this." He said while pointing at the textbook in front of him. Sakura recognized the page he was on from a textbook she read in the academy. "I'm not very good at studying though..." he laughed embarrassedly.

It seemed like he was telling the truth, and the boy's amber eyes DID look very honest. She couldn't see this boy telling a lie. But still... "But why would Hokage-sama just let you become ninja immediately after entering the village? How could he trust you that quickly? And since it seems like you're just studying for the written test, does that mean you already know how to use jutsu?"

This girl was smart, Killua noted. That was annoying. "He trusts us because we were brought into the village by somebody he trusts," he said. When Sakura looked at him, he continued. "There is a jounin in this village that Gon knew from since he was a kid. We met up with him recently and he offered to bring us back to the village so we could have some place to stay. We ended up becoming ninja because that's what Gon wanted to do. And we're no strangers to fighting, so we only need to study for the written test."

Sakura couldn't help but feel like there was more to it than that, especially with how he dodged the jutsu question. But something in Killua's eyes challenged Sakura to ask more. Wisely, she decided not to. Instead, she said, "Well... I could help you study in a way that you're sure to remember it." Gon looked hopeful while Killua looked annoyed but skeptical. "I used to get extra credit from teachers for tutoring students who learned in different ways. Reading a book in a library all day isn't the only way for you to learn the material. I can help you learn it really fast too."

"Really?! Thank you Sakura-san!" Gon said in the cutest voice Sakura had ever heard. "You're a lifesaver!" The three of them sweatdropped when the old librarian lady came over to 'shh!' them.

After a few moments, Killua spoke again. "What's the catch?" He didn't believe for one second that this girl was just helping out of kindness.

"Well you two said you knew how to fight right?" Gon nodded and Killua just stared at her. "I'm book smart and have good chakra control. I'm one of the top students in my class for those reasons. But, when it comes down to physical abilities and combat skills, I'm terrible. I figured we could help each other."

Gon looked ready to agree but Killua jumped in again. "We don't have time to waste by training you. We only have two weeks left for Gon to remember all this information."

"And I'm telling you that with my help, he could probably have most of it down in a week. It's just about finding a method that suits him." Sakura paused before continuing. "I'm not asking you to be my senseis or anything. I just want you to help me improve my physical strength, speed and taijutsu skills even if only a little bit. Spar with me so I can get used to fighting someone else. Because when I become a ninja, I'm going to have to fight someone by myself at some point. I have to be ready," she said.

Killua looked at Gon for his thoughts on the matter. "Yes! We'll definitely help you Sakura-san!" Sakura nodded with a smile and Killua looked at him for a moment longer before dragging his calculating eyes back over to her.

After assessing her for a moment, he smirked. "It won't be easy you know."

"Neither will being a ninja. I didn't really start thinking about that until recently, but it's time I started taking things more seriously."

"You sure you're ready?" Killua asked.

Sakura took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm ready." And she was referring to more than just training.

* * *

 **Chapter 3 End**


	4. Meeting x and x Misunderstanding

Thank you to everyone who reads and everyone who leaves reviews! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter or Naruto.

* * *

 **Meeting x and x Misunderstanding**

* * *

"I wasn't... ready..."

"Come on pinky! You said you were ready before!"

"I didn't know... this would be... so hard... already!"

"We haven't even gotten to the hard stuff!"

"So what IS... the hard stuff?!"

"Something more than these damn 50 push-ups that YOU CAN'T EVEN COMPLETE 10 FOR!" Sakura was too busy panting on the ground to respond. "Good grief..."

"Guys..." Gon said absentmindedly. "I'm trying to study..."

Killua looked over at him. The boy was balancing his whole body on one hand doing push-ups and reading the textbook with the other. "Oh, sorry Gon."

"Damn 50 push-ups he says..." Sakura mumbled and glared at Killua. "Convenient how you left out that I'm wearing weights on my arms and legs and you're SITTING ON MY BACK!" She met this boy less than a day ago and already hated him. With a passion. As she looked around the wide open training field, she was glad no one else was around to see this.

"Don't worry Sakura-san! It'll make you stronger! Just try your best!" Gon said with a smile directed at her before going back to reading. While she hated Killua, she practically adored Gon. He was just too cute. She was surprised to find out he was her age, he looked about a year younger. Maybe it was because of how cheerful and innocent he seemed.

"Thanks Gon-kun." Killua, who had been watching Gon, suddenly got off her and helped her up. "At least you have _some_ manners. What a pleasant surprise," she said with a smirk.

Killua looked briefly surprised before he smirked back. "I reserve them for the ones who seem like they need it." He looked her up and down while holding back laughter. "And after that embarrassing display, you made the cut," he said before busting out laughing.

Sakura looked down. Her sleeveless red dress had dirt all over it from her constantly being pressed into the ground by Killua sitting on her. She glared at him. "It was only embarrassing because you made the training too difficult! Why couldn't I start off with regular pushups?" Anybody could take a good look at her and see that her arms barely had any muscle.

"I figured you could just use chakra to enhance your muscles and make it easier." He had a point, Sakura thought. But he also seemed to be misunderstanding something.

"You're right. Chakra can be used to enhance the muscles. But in case you didn't notice... that's what I was doing! And I only made it to 8!" Killua raised an eyebrow at that. Sakura continued. "Look. Chakra can only enhance muscle that is already there. The more muscle you have, the more you can enhance yourself." She held up her arms. "If you barely have any muscle, like me, you won't receive that much enhancement! And you run out of stamina quicker! On top of all that, my chakra reserves aren't that big to be able to keep this up! I need to start small Killua!"

"But intense training like this will let you gain more muscle faster, right? Even if you're relying on chakra?" After a moment of contemplation, Sakura shrugged. Killua sighed. "Well me and Gon are having a practical exam in two weeks and the Hokage said that all you students in the academy will have one too. You don't exactly have time to take things slow. Who knows what will be on your exam."

Before Sakura could reply, Gon beat her to it. "Let her start off with basic training Killua." Sakura and Killua looked at him, one in gratitude and the other in confusion. "At least give her a couple days to get used to doing physical training..." He switched hands and started doing push-ups with his left while reading with his right. "Besides, she said she wanted to focus more on increasing her speed, right? Why not give her a break from pushups and have her do leg exercises and running laps for now?" That, Sakura could do. She happened to like running.

"Yeah, yeah, Gon! With all this attention you're paying her, your studying better be going damn well!" Sakura smiled at Killua's annoyance and Gon's responding laughter. She could tell these two had a great friendship. One that was very rare. Her mind briefly wandered to Ino, but she pushed those thoughts away. "How is this method supposed to help him again?" Killua asked Sakura and pointing at Gon, who had returned to doing pushups.

"Well, it's very simple. Gon-kun told me he learned better by action instead of taking in information by reading or lectures. Once I talked to him a bit about his hobbies and he said fishing, training and exercising, I just used a method I used for another kid I helped in the past." She pointed at Gon. "Right now, he's not studying. He's training. It's all about the mentality. Now that he's viewing this as training instead of studying for a test, it's just another challenge for him. And I can tell that Gon-kun likes challenges." She paused before adding, "I guess it also helps that he has really good focus. You should say challenging things to him every now and then so he becomes even more determined to prove you wrong."

"Hmm, ok," Killua said, satisfied. Sakura had a feeling he was going to test Gon later and would chew her out if he hadn't improved. "Well, let's go for a run around the field and leave Gon to 'train' in peace." He turned to Gon. "Gon! We're going for a run! We'll be back!" At Gon's 'ok! have fun!', Killua turned back to her and smirked. "Race ya!" he said, before taking off.

Sakura stood in shock for a moment before racing after him. "You're on, cheater!" Killua just turned around and stuck out his tongue at her. She laughed. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

"Come in." Hiruzen looked up from his paperwork when his office door opened and Kite and Biscuit walked through. "Back again already? What a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?"

Kite stepped up. "Biscuit-san wanted to talk to you. There's something she wanted to tell you." Hiruzen nodded and looked over at Biscuit.

Biscuit stepped up with no aura of insecurity under the Hokage's gaze. "Hokage-sama, I normally don't reveal this about myself so easily, but I figure since you are the leader of the shinobi village I'm going to be apart of, you should know." Her eyes shifted over to two corners of the room. "So I would appreciate it if you dismissed them. I don't want anyone else to hear this besides you and Kite-kun." Hiruzen was inwardly shocked. This girl was a LOT better than he first anticipated. He nodded and motioned for the two camouflaged ANBU to leave the room before activating the soundproof room seal once they left.

She nodded. "Well, to be blunt... I'm fifty-seven years old."

One second passed. Two. Three. Hiruzen's and Kite's eyes both got extremely wide.

"What?!"

Biscuit suddenly started laughing and the two calmed down, thinking she was joking. "Yeah. I've slowed my aging with nen and I use one of my abilities to make me appear even younger and more delicate." They were shocked that she was serious but she continued, "My true form looks completely different from how I am now. I'm telling you this because I want you to understand that I have about forty years of nen experience and most of that involved combat experience as well. Not to sound arrogant, but I'm not on the level of a genin. From what I've been reading, I'm not even on the level of a chunin. I've never fought a jounin, but that seems like a more accurate level for me. I might be higher though."

Hiruzen's jaw dropped slightly before he caught himself. Kite's eyes looked like they were about to bulge out of his head. He thought she was in her twenties at most! But Biscuit wasn't done. "If that chunin exams you were talking about yesterday involves competition and fighting among genins, I think it would be very unfair to have me participate, especially if I'm on a team with Gon and Killua. I doubt any other team would stand a chance... unless they have very problematic abilities." She truly wasn't being arrogant, they observed. She was just stating facts.

"Well... you raise a very good point Biscuit-san..." And dropped a bomb, he thought. He made a mental note to refer to her as 'Biscuit-san' instead of 'Biscuit-chan' from now on. "But no offense, is there anyway you can prove what you say?"

"I believe her Hokaga-sama," Kite cut in. "Slowing aging can be done by one of the most basic nen techniques. I've just never seen it done to this extent. Though, she did say that she used her abilities to increase the effects." Biscuit nodded.

Hiruzen hummed. "And this true form... could it pose a danger to the village?"

Biscuit shook her head. "I'm in complete control of myself once I've reverted. It's more of a physical change, not a mental one. Basically, it would give me the strength to kill most people with one punch without even using my nen." Kite and Hiruzen paled at that.

 _"Even Tsunade needs to use chakra to accomplish a feat such as that... come to think of it... Biscuit-san hiding her age this way reminds me a lot of Tsunade too... what a strange parallel..."_ Hiruzen paused and looked at Bisky in contemplation. _"But anyway... could she be Sannin or even Kage level_?" Hiruzen wondered. He didn't doubt her, but he couldn't just blindly believe everything she said. For all he knew, she could be overestimating her own abilities because she had never actually fought anybody from this world.

"So, what are you saying? You don't want to be on a team with Gon-kun and Killua-kun? Because there are no such thing as two-man genin squads. Since we already have a basic idea of the team arrangements for all the above average students in the academy, that means the boys would have an average or below average teammate." He paused, before continuing. "Now, from what Kite-kun has told me and from my own assessments, I can already tell those boys are above every student in the academy. For them to have someone from the academy on their team would only slow them down, especially if they're average or below. I believe you should stay on a team with them so they can pass the chunin exam as quickly as possible. You could just show heavy restraint and let them do most of the fighting."

"Yeah... well... past experience has shown me that I'm not exactly the best at restraint..." Biscuit said, giggling while remembering past battles. Her giggles unnerved Kite and Hiruzen, two men who were beginning to fear this woman for a lot of reasons. "Anyway, I came to that conclusion too... but then I thought about it. The chunin exams has a portion that individually tests each team member right? Most likely in a combat scenario?" Hiruzen nodded, seeing where this was going. "No matter who I'm matched up with, it will most likely be a mismatch. Now normally, I'm the first one to say that fights are won by strategy, abilities, environment, mental state, and a bunch of other factors... but in the face of overwhelming strength, speed, and experience? ...I mean, I could try to hold myself back. I could even limit myself to not using nen. But I might STILL be too strong. That's the problem." She sighed. "I really don't want to take away somebody's chance to rank up when I'm not even really trying to be a ninja. I would most likely end up just forfeiting the match and then I'm back to square one, a genin."

Hiruzen saw her logic.

"If I may, I have an idea." Kite said. Two sets of eyes turned to him and Hiruzen nodded for him to continue. "Well, Biscuit-san could take a different practical exam than Gon and Killua. She could take an exam to determine her individual skill level but she will still be placed as a genin with them initially." At the confused looks, Kite continued. "Biscuit-san could stay as a genin and then take the chunin exams with Gon and Killua so that they will have a three-man squad. But, since the exams are going to to take place in this village, you can tell her what each phase consists of so she can help them as little as possible. Then, during the one-on-one combat portion, she could just forfeit. As long as she shows that she has what it takes to be chunin or higher, winning in the actual match doesn't matter right?"

Hiruzen hummed. He liked the idea. Council be damned. "Well, it's usually not acceptable to appoint a genin to chunin if they haven't passed or have at least taken the chunin exam. That's why I can't just promote Gon-kun, Killua-kun, and Biscuit-san now. But, once they take the exam and at least make it to the last phase, the individual fights, they can be eligible to be promoted. In Biscuit-san's case, what truly matters is the practical evaluation test that you said she will take apart from Gon-kun and Killua-kun. If she shows that she is capable, she could have a guaranteed chunin or jounin position reserved for her. Once she takes the exam, makes it to the one-on-one combat portion and quits, she will be promoted. Genius Kite-kun," he said with a smile.

"You flatter me Hokage-sama," Kite replied. He then turned to Biscuit. "Gon and Killua are getting a tough practical exam, much tougher than the other potential genin. This means that yours will be even more difficult. Hokage-sama can't tell you in advance, but most likely it will be a jonin or even ANBU level exam. Last chance to back out Biscuit-san."

Bisky laughed and looked at Kite. "How many times do I have to tell you call me Bisky-chama, pretty boy? You should listen to your elders." Kite blushed and Hiruzen chuckled. "I'm confident in my ability to pass the test. And I've actually been studying more than what we were assigned for the written test, particularly in the areas of chakra and ninjutsu." Both men looked surprised at that. "I doubt there's any training or tests that will be too difficult for me. My early training from my master already prepared me for the worst."

Before Kite could ask who her master was, Hiruzen began speaking. "Very well. I will contact you when I've decided what your practical exam will be. Note that it will most likely be earlier than Gon-kun's and Killua-kun's because you seem to be having no issues with studying the material."

"That's fine. The quicker it get's done the better!" Biscuit chirped.

Hiruzen smiled. "Well then good day Biscuit-san, Kite-kun. It was nice talking to you two. I promise not to disclose anything I've learned here today." Biscuit and Kite bowed before opening the door and moving to exit the room. "Before you go, Biscuit-san..." Biscuit turned back to face him. "...Call me Hiruzen-san," he said with a smile. Biscuit smiled back and nodded before exiting. As Hiruzen deactivated the soundproofing seals, he could only think about how quickly Biscuit Krueger had become such an interesting individual.

* * *

"Biscuit-san?"

"You mean Bisky-chama, but yes Kite-kun?" Kite blushed again. This woman was so bold. "Cat got your tongue?"

"I-I just was wondering... who was your master? Is it somebody I could possibly know?" He knew their world was big, but if Biscuit was as powerful as she claimed, he couldn't help be be curious.

"Oh, I'm sure you know him. You're a hunter, right?" Biscuit said teasingly. But what she said made something click in his mind.

Kite stopped walking. "Chairman Netero?" If that was her master, then it was no wonder she became so skilled.

"Smart boy!" Kite had to dodge her attempts to pat his head with a blush on his face. Somehow, he doubted Gon and Killua had to deal with behavior like this.

After a while, they both calmed down and fell back into step beside each other. "So," Kite started, "What was training under him like?"

Biscuit looked to the sky in contemplation before answering. "Hell. Pure, unadulterated hell." No shocker there, Kite thought. "I started training under him right after my hunter exam. Back then, he had someone else running the Shingen-ryu dojo for him so he didn't have any students he trained personally." She paused before continuing, "But, he told me that he saw potential in me. Not just as a hunter, but as a martial artist and nen practitioner. You see, back then, I used to fight with weapons. I had spent a long time training to use many different kinds of weapons efficiently, and Netero said that he saw my dedication every time I fought with them."

There was another pause before Bisky started speaking again. "He said I wasn't extremely talented or anything, but that I had dedicated myself so much to weapons usage that I unconsciously enhanced them with nen every time I fought." She smiled fondly. "Apparently, that type of dedication was rare to see in hunter candidates back then. Usually weapons were just tools used to kill, but my passion for them had seeped into them through my nen... he said that he had long since lost his fire for the martial arts, but I had inspired him and reminded him of his passion. He took me under his wing to thank me, and because he didn't want my potential to go to waste." Kite smiled. This story reminded him of Ging-san for some reason. "The training was still hell though."

Kite laughed. "I bet. He probably made you do insane amounts of physical training and nen practice right?"

Biscuit nodded. "That's putting it lightly. I'll never forget the time I had to outrun a dinosaur for twelve hours with weighted clothes on while balancing two plates with weighted cups on top and maintaining my ren." There was so many things wrong with that statement, Kite didn't know where to start. "Ahh... good times. That was a long time ago though. For years now I haven't really been interested in fighting and danger and all that." She sighed. "Must be age."

"...Dinosaurs? Actually, nevermind."

Bisky laughed. "Well that's all you get from Bisky-chama today! You know where to find me if you want more story time!" She suddenly vanished.

Kite couldn't even find it in himself to be shocked by her speed. Even as all the villagers were making a fuss about the vanishing act, all he could think about was how fascinating Biscuit Krueger was. He was interested to learn more about her.

* * *

"I'm telling you that you cheated!"

"How could I have cheated?! I was right in front of you the whole time! I was even running at a slow pace so you could keep up!"

"You used to chakra to enhance your legs! No way you're just that fast!"

Killua sighed. Even though he couldn't use chakra, she didn't know that. "As if I would need to do that in a race against you, stuuuupid!"

Sakura felt her eyebrow twitch. "You're so full of yourself!"

They continued arguing as they walked back to the area in the training field that Gon was at. When they entered the clearing, they stopped arguing abruptly. Gon was in the middle of the clearing doing what seemed to be some sort of meditation. But what made Sakura confused, and Killua panic, was that Gon was shrouded in a faint white aura.

"Gon! What the hell are you doing?!" Killua yelled. Gon quickly snapped out of his meditation state and turned around sheepishly. The aura faded away and Sakura was left to wonder what it was. Before she had too much time to dwell on that, she found herself following Killua, who was stomping up to Gon. "Idiot! Why would you do that in the MIDDLE of a wide open clearing! What if somebody saw?! How did you not even sense us coming?!" Sakura realized that he was talking about the white aura and instantly became suspicious. Why were these two trying to hide it? Were they enemies of the village?

Gon, meanwhile, stood up looking very embarrassed. "Um... sorry Killua. I was just so focused that I wasn't even paying attention to my surroundings. You see, it helps me prepare myself." Prepare himself for what? Some type of large scale jutsu that he'll use to attack the village? Sakura felt her nerves mounting.

"Ugh! You're too much!" Killua said. "We're supposed to keep a low profile!"

 _"Why would they need to do that_ ," Sakura thought. _"Unless..."_

 ** _"INFILTRATORS!"_** For once, Sakura was on the same page as Inner.

She started assessing the situation, trying to come up with a way to escape and go warn the Hokage without raising suspicion from them. What would be a valid excuse? Her training wasn't over yet. If she suddenly said something like she had to do something for her parents, it would seem suspicious. She was tired from all the running she did so she couldn't just run. Besides, Killua was much faster than her and most likely Gon was too. She couldn't outrun them if they caught on to her suspicion.

Before she could come up with a plan or at least hide the suspicion from her expression, Killua turned to face her. "Oh, sorry. I know you must be pretty confused. Let me exp-" As Killua tried to walk closer to her, she quickly jumped back and threw shuriken at them. Both boys dodged quicker than her eyes could follow without even moving from where they stood. "What the hell?! Why are you-"

"I'm asking the questions here!" Sakura said with false bravery. She took a stance with a kunai gripped in her shaking right hand. "You being new to the village... that white aura... you two trying to keep a low profile... who are you two? And what do you want with Konoha? If you don't answer..." Sakura steeled herself as much as she could, "I'm taking you in!" _"For my village. For my parents. For_ _Sasuke-kun,"_ she thought. _**"We won't lose!"**_

Gon and Killua just looked at each other and sighed. Killua looked at Gon particularly dryly.

"You better have memorized that _whole_ damn textbook Gon."

* * *

 **Chapter 4 End**

It pains me that I had to give Bisky an original backstory because Togashi hasn't covered it in the manga (if he'll ever). And to be honest, I feel like the backstory I gave her was pretty basic, I'm sure he could've came up with something much better. But it is what it is.

On the bright side though, the Hunter x Hunter manga is coming back this month and Togashi recently said in an interview that he was now open to the idea of letting assistants help him draw the chapters instead of trying to do everything alone. This could potentially mean that more chapters will be released on a more consistent basis, something that many people have been waiting for. It could even mean the anime comes back sometime into the future. Hopefully. But anyways, thanks for reading!


	5. Friends x and x Loner

Thank you to everyone who reads and everyone who leaves reviews! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter or Naruto.

* * *

 **Friends x and x Loner**

* * *

"Again!"

Sakura parries Killua's punch and jumps back. Killua sighs.

"Don't retreat! Again!"

Sakura parries Killua's punch but hesitates to counterattack, causing Killua to suddenly appear behind her and swipe her legs out from under her. She fell with a yelp.

"Hesitation could mean death! What are you doing?!" Killua said as he held out a hand to her.

Sakura huffed as she accepted the help and got up. "Sorry... But you hit really hard! I don't want to get hit again!"

"Then stop hesitating! As long as your defense is good, you won't get hit. But don't run away either!"

Sakura sighed. It had been a week since she had started training with Killua and a week since her "misunderstanding." She briefly remembered how much of a fool she made of herself that day.

* * *

 _"I'm taking you in!" Sakura had said as she shakily held up a kunai and took a fighting stance._ _She watched as Gon and Killua just looked at each other, one in guilt and the other in annoyance. Killua mumbled something to Gon that she couldn't hear and Gon sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. 'Are they trying to play it off?' Sakura thought. "Explain what's going on! Now!"_

 _Both boys looked back to her and Killua sighed. "Look, Pinky, I know you want to be a ninja and everything but... No offense, you're kind of weak right now. Gon and I know a boy that's years younger than us that would easily knock you out. Are you sure making demands is the smart thing to do when encountering potential threats? Don't you guys have some type of protocol for that?"_

 _They did have a protocol. It was to try and leave without arising suspicion from the infiltrators and then report to the Hokage or another shinobi, preferably at least a jounin. But Sakura didn't have that luxury right now. She tightened her hold on her kunai when Gon started talking to Killua._

 _"Hey, Killua, you're making it seem like we ARE threats." He said before turning to her. "Sakura-san, I know this seems strange but let us explain. We aren't dangerous at all!" He said while walking closer to her slowly with a smile._

 _Sakura would've believed the boy and his innocent smile if it wasn't for the way him and Killua had easily dodged her weapons a few moments ago. She had precise aim but they immediately moved their heads out the way, not even bothering to dodge with the rest of their body. Not to mention that afterward she saw them immediately tense up in a ready stance as if they were about to attack her. The white aura was troubling too. "If you truly mean that..." she started, "Then explain from where you are! Don't come near me!"_

 _Gon looked slightly hurt but nodded and stopped walking before sitting on the ground and holding his hands up. He looked back at Killua and the white-haired boy sighed before also sitting down on the ground. Gon looked up at her and said, "We're not from around here, as you can see. The Hokage is letting us become ninja and told us to keep a low profile because... well, we're not like regular ninja."_

 _What the hell does that even mean, Sakura thought before Killua spoke up. "What Gon means to say is that you guys use chakra, and we use something else. That's what the aura that you saw was. The Hokage told us to keep a low profile for now because it would lead to too many questions and people would become suspicious of us like you are now."_

 _"I've never heard of a ninja that doesn't use chakra," Sakura said._

 _Killua sighed. "Well get used to it Pinky." Gon sternly looked at him, as if saying 'be nice!'. Killua shook his head and met her eyes. "Besides, do you think you know about everything in the world? That's arrogant. No one knows everything. For all you know, there could be ninja that fight without any type of special ability."_

 _Sakura definitely couldn't imagine that. If that were true, that person would have to rely only on taijutsu and weapons. It wasn't impossible, but was very unlikely. "Fine. But even if that's true, you two seem to be very well trained. I've never seen somebody dodge a kunai as quickly and effortlessly as you. Not even the top student in my class. Who trained you?"_

 _She saw Killua open his mouth to speak, but Gon beat him to it. "Well, I've always had good senses. Killua too. But our mentor helped us improve them. I guess Killua's assassin training helps too_ — _"_

 _Assassin training. Killua had assassin training. From the way Killua shouted "Gon!" and the boy covered his mouth in self-surprise, Sakura knew that he didn't mean to say that. Which means it was something they were hiding._

 _Ninjas and assassins sound similar, but are very different. A ninja is one who protects and serves the village, but an assassin works for money and usually targets people of note for assassination. 'The Hokage!" Sakura concluded. They could have been hired to infiltrate and kill the Hokage!_

 _Before she knew what she was doing, Sakura threw the kunai in her hand at Killua and started rushing through hand seals. "Oi! Listen_ — _" Killua had tried to say. But Sakura was in panic mode._

 _Suddenly, two clones appeared which slightly surprised the boys. Sakura and her clones started running circles around them as she went through more hand seals. Right as she reached the last seal, both Gon and Killua looked directly at her knowingly._

 _'They know!' She thought. Terrified, she activated her substitution jutsu and switched with a branch in the forest behind her._

 _As she started racing back to the village, all she could think was, 'I knew there was something weird about those boys! Especially Killua! If that's even his real name!' She started jumping through trees, thoughts racing a mile a minute. 'But... I never realized that they would be dangerous... they didn't seem dangerous... especially not Gon...' She was so confused, and she considered the possibility that she really was jumping the gun. But it wasn't like going back to them to verify would be the smart thing to do. If they really were infiltrators, she could be killed!_

 _'Wow... is this the type of things I'll have to be dealing with as a ninja? My life being at stake just as it could be right now?' She thought before shaking her head. 'No. Forget that right now. I have to get to the Hokage to clear all this up!' Before she could get far though, both Gon and Killua suddenly appeared in front of her. Before she could let out a scream, Killua covered her mouth and Gon stopped her from flailing._

 _"Easy damn it! We're not going to hurt you! Let us explain!" Killua yelled._

 _After a while of struggling, she had calmed down and listened to them, figuring it was better than trying to escape again and dying. When they cleared the air by saying Killua is from an assassin family but ran away with Gon, Sakura calmed down slightly. She knew they could be lying, but something told her they were telling the truth. They even offered to bring her to the Hokage to verify their story. She felt stupid now. She_ knew _she had probably jumped the gun._

 _"Before that..." she started. "I want to know. How are you two so good? You instantly picked the real me out from the clones and caught up to me in no time, even after I used a substitution!"_

 _"We could sense you. The clones didn't give off any aura." Gon said. Sakura was confused. Aura? Like the white aura he had before? "I could smell you too. Your shampoo is very strong!" Sakura didn't know how she felt about that._

 _"That, and you were the only one that made indents in the grass and had a shadow. The clones were clearly illusions. They won't fool anyone who has good senses or is just observant." Sakura should've figured a basic clone jutsu wouldn't work on a boy with assassin training. "I read about the substitution jutsu in those textbooks though. Nice use of that by the way. But your speed just isn't a match for ours, even with the head-start from the jutsu."_

 _Sakura watched them silently for a few moments before sighing. These boys were crazy talented, while she was such an idiot. "I'm not sure if I can completely trust you, but it's not like I could run away if you were enemies. Let's go to the Hokage like you said." They nodded and both got up, motioning for her to lead the way. She smiled. "If the Hokage confirms your story..." Which she knew he would, "...then I'd like for us to stay friends. If that's okay with you guys." Gon cheered and Killua huffed, but they both agreed._

 _As the three of them walked off to the Hokage's Office, Sakura realized that most of her stress had come from the fact that she had grown comfortable with these boys in such a short amount of time and the threat of them being enemies shook her to the core. It was like a wake up call for the crazy things that would happen in her life as a kunoichi. However, it also made her realize that she wanted to get to know them more. This was just supposed to be a two-way deal, she helps Gon study and Killua helps her get stronger. But honestly, despite the mystery around them, she wouldn't mind having them as comrades or even friends._

 _It wasn't until then that Sakura realized she actually didn't have any real friends. As she watched a yelling Killua scolding a laughing Gon, she hoped this would be the start of something good. That this wouldn't end in disaster like her last 'friendship.'_

* * *

A week later, and Sakura doesn't know if she could call it something good. Their stories had been confirmed by the Hokage, who had told her, "Be good to them Sakura-chan. And please don't reveal their secrets to others." But, she didn't know if the training Killua was putting her through was worth it.

After that incident, Killua told her that she was not only severely lacking in basic physical abilities like strength, speed and durability, but also didn't know how to defend herself. So he had prioritized sparring during their training sessions. He said that she could do pushups, lift weights, and go for runs on her own time so it wouldn't make sense to make them priority. Instead, he helped her improve on the basic fighting style that she had learned from the academy, mostly the defensive side.

"You were doing better yesterday and the days before. What's gotten into you, Pinky?" If Killua didn't stop calling her that.

"Maybe it's because of the fact that you punched me HARD in the gut yesterday!" Sakura said.

Killua raised an eyebrow. "I thought I already apologized for that. Besides, it's your fault for reacting to slow. Enemies won't show you any mercy."

Sakura opened her mouth to retort, before closing it and sighing. Just last week she had went out of her way to never get sweaty or dirty during training in the academy. Now look at her. Drenched in sweat and dirty from constantly falling to the ground. She wondered if it was too late to reconsider her choice of career.

"Hey, Sakura." She looked over at Gon, who was cross-legged on the ground reading from the textbook. He met her eyes. "A genjutsu works by disrupting the chakra of whoever it's placed on right?"

Sakura recited what she knew from the academy. "Well, that's only one type of genjutsu. There are two types: direct genjutsu and area of effect genjutsu. An area of effect genjutsu doesn't work like that. It's when someone coats a specific area with their chakra to change how it is perceived, usually by sight. This tricks the senses without having to disrupt a specific target's chakra," she explains. "But yeah, you're thinking of a direct genjutsu."

Gon hummed. "So, does that mean that me and Killua can't be affected by direct genjutsu? Because we don't use chakra?" Oh, right. They use something called 'Nen.' They had told her about it after they left the Hokage's office a few days ago. They said it was similar to chakra in that it could amplify the body and be used for special abilities, but it focused on manipulating one's aura. They had asked her not to tell anyone about it and she had agreed. Not like she really had anyone to tell. Except maybe inner, who she hadn't heard from in a while now, strangely enough.

"That's a good question, Gon. That's information we'll need for the future," Killua said while sitting down. That meant it was time for a break. "Another good question is that if it does work on us, how will we escape it? I read in the textbook that shinobi can break out of it by correcting their chakra flow. But can we do the same with aura? And what about those area of effect genjutsu? There are so many things to consider." He had such a contemplative look on his face that Sakura had to stop herself from giggling.

"Well, how about we test it out? I know how to use a basic genjutsu from the academy." Gon and Killua looked at her in surprise. "I was one of the few who could learn it because of my good chakra control. I know how to break you out of it too so don't worry."

Gon jumped up with a smile. "You're amazing Sakura!" He said. If this boy was a charmer now, she didn't even want to think about when he got older. "If you could take a break from your training to help us we would really appreciate it!"

And take a break she would. "Well, of course! What are friends for after all!" She said, laughing nervously. She could feel Killua's eyes on her and she had a feeling the boy knew she was trying to put off her training.

Killua held up a hand. "Hold up, Gon. How far have you gotten with your studies? We only have a week left you know. It wouldn't be good for you to start getting distracted."

"It's fine Killua! The method Sakura taught me really helps! When I study while practicing _Ten_ , it really helps me retain information!" He said. "You can quiz me when we get back home. I'll pass. Promise!"

Killua looked at him for a moment before nodding and turning back to her. "Alright pinky. Floors all yours. Show us what this genjutsu stuff is all about."

Sakura's eye twitched at the nickname but she nodded and stood up. She closed her eyes and called upon her chakra before going through a series of hand seals. On the final seal, she started appearing hazy to Gon and Killua, and tree leaves started floating around her.

Gon and Killua instantly used _Gyo_. Even with aura focused in their eyes, they couldn't see through the genjutsu. Nothing had changed.

"What do we do?" Gon asked Killua. But Killua seemed just as confused as he was. Gon activated his _Ren_ which startled Sakura and made the illusion waver slightly. She quickly recovered and it stabilized.

Killua saw this and took note. _"So they have to be maintained... any disruption of their focus or mental state could interrupt the genjutsu. Or at least, for this particular genjutsu. There are most likely others like this, though."_

Gon finally released his ren and sighed. "It's no use! _Gyo_ and _Ren_ don't work, and we can't use _En_! What else can we do?"

"Who said _Gyo_ doesn't work?"

Gon and Killua swiftly turned around to see Bisky standing there looking amused.

"Bisky! How long have you been there?" Gon said.

"Long enough." She walked forward and looked between the two boys and at Sakura, who was surprised at her appearance but still focused enough to maintain the genjutsu. "You're not using _Gyo_ correctly. It's true that we can't be affected by direct genjutsu and that this is an area of effect genjutsu. But, _Gyo_ is meant for you to see through hidden aura or, in this case, chakra." She pointed at chakra. "Her chakra isn't exactly hidden. It's taking the form of the illusion but your mind is being tricked into perceiving it as something that it's not. To counter this, you should focus some aura into your eyes _and_ some into your brain, because that is what's being deceived," Bisky said. "You're used to only using _Gyo_ outside the body, but I'm sure you boys can pull this off."

Sakura was surprised at the amount of expertise this girl seemed to have. She didn't seem much older than they were but was acting like their teacher. Her voice even sounded older than a kid's should. Maybe she was in her late-teens?

"Thanks Bisky! We'll try it!" Gon and Killua turned back to Sakura and followed Bisky's directions. They struggled a bit with focusing nen into their brain since it was inside the body instead of outside, but they figured out that they could use the aura contained within them and move it around. After a few minutes of struggling, Gon got it first. "Oh! You were right! Sakura looks normal and there are no leaves around her!" Killua nodded in agreement about a minute later.

Bisky hummed. "You'll have to practice more. You two won't be able to pull that off during combat if it takes you minutes to do it right. That'll put you at a disadvantage against genjutsu users." She turned to Sakura. "You can drop the genjutsu now young lady." Sakura quickly released the genjutsu and felt instant relief. Keeping it up even just for a few minutes really drained her chakra. She was tired now. "Thanks for helping these boys. I was planning on getting someone else to cast a genjutsu on them so they can learn how to counter it, but there's no need now. What a coincidence that you were already helping them practice!"

"Yea! Sakura is amazing! She's one of the only people in her class who could even use genjutsu!" Sakura blushed. Gon would be the end of her. "She's the person who helped me study better too!"

"Sakura, huh? That's a nice name." Bisky said before turning to her. "My name is Biscuit Krueger, but you can call me Bisky. And these two knuckleheads," she said before resting her hands on the boys' heads, "are my beloved students. I appreciate the help and friendship you've given them. I almost expected them to stick to each other like glue and not talk to any other kids their age." She laughed, even when Gon and Killua said "Hey!" in unison.

Sakura couldn't help but smile. She seemed nice. "It was no problem. I needed help myself, and your students are very good fri— " She just realized that the girl called them her students. "Wait, students? Wow, but you're so young!"

Bisky threw her head back and laughed while Gon looked nervous and Killua looked annoyed. "Fifty-seven." At Sakura's confused face, Bisky elaborated. "I'm Fifty-seven years old. Turning Fifty-eight soon."

"BISKY?!" Gon and Killua shouted together.

Sakura thought she was joking, until Bisky spoke again. "Well, it's okay right? She's your friend after all. If she can keep _Nen_ a secret, why can't she keep this a secret too?" Sakura wondered how many surprises these people were full of.

"...Well, it's not completely unheard of," Sakura said. "One of the Legendary Sannin, Tsunade, is around your age but I've heard she is able to use a genjutsu to make herself look young. But you..." she pointed at Bisky, "...you look like a kid! That's crazy!" After a moment, she added. "No offense! I meant it in a good way!"

Bisky just smiled. "I can take other forms besides this too." Gon and Killua looked at each other and looked back at her as if to say 'You can?'. "But I prefer to use this form because it leaves people unassuming. Besides, it lets me blend in with these two more easily." She tilted her head at Sakura. "I know it's getting late, but would you like to come over to my apartment for dinner? Gon and Killua will be coming too."

Sakura avoided Gon's and Killua's gazes. "I don't know... I don't want to intrude..." Killua had smacked her upside the head. "Hey! What was that for, idiot?!"

Killua smirked at her. "Stop saying foolishness stuuupid. You won't be intruding. You're a friend."

"Yeah! How could you think that Sakura? You're welcome anytime!" Gon said. "As long as your comfortable."

Sakura smiled. She truly didn't know how she got new friends so suddenly, but she felt her heart warm. "Ok! Well let's go! I'll just tell my parents I was over at a friend's house." They still believed her and Ino were friends. She would just give them the excuse that she went to her house.

As the group was walking away from the training field, laughing and making jokes, they didn't notice a blonde boy in an orange jumpsuit walk by and turn his head to look at them before walking away. Or at least, Killua and Sakura, who were busy bickering, didn't notice. But the two others, Bisky and Gon both noticed. Bisky just kept walking, but Gon looked back in the boy's direction curiously before turning back to the conversation.

Gon knew he should be focusing more on what his friends were talking about, but his mind wandered to the blonde boy. He glanced behind him once more and saw the boy's back getting farther and farther away. He had only caught sight of his face for a moment, but for some reason, he had looked very sad to Gon.

* * *

 **Chapter 5 End**


	6. Academy x and x Acquaintances

Back with another update!

Let me just say that I have no intention of writing romance, especially not between two 12-13 year olds. Sakura and Killua might have good chemistry, but I'm really just going for good friendship. I'm not good with romance, and honestly, trying to write romance and failing can ruin an otherwise great story. The closest thing to romance will more than likely be between Sakura and Sasuke just because of how I plan to develop them. Sorry if any of you were expecting differently.

But anyway, thank you to everyone who reads and everyone who leaves reviews! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter or Naruto.

* * *

 **Academy x and x Acquaintances**

* * *

A few days have passed, and Gon still has the blonde boy on his mind. He didn't know why. Normally, he would've just forgotten about him and went back to training. But there was something about that boy that just seemed so... familiar. And not necessarily in a good way.

Him and Killua had gotten up early that morning to meet up with Sakura and walk her to the academy. She had told them that they didn't need to do that, but Gon was curious to see the academy and Killua begrudgingly admitted he was too. Mainly though, Gon wondered if the blonde boy might be a student there. He asked Sakura about it and she said that it had sounded like a boy she knew, but he never looked sad. He always had an obnoxious grin on his face and was always messing with people. Gon still had a feeling that it might be him.

Killua snapped Gon out of his musings. "Oi! Gon! Come on! Sakura's downstairs!"

Rushing to put on his signature green jacket and pull on his boots, he replied, "Coming!" When he came out his room, he saw that Killua was wearing a light blue sleeveless hoodie, cream pants, his usual purple and gray sneakers, as well as a red cap. He briefly wondered why Killua chose now to all of a sudden wear more than the usual 'tank top and shorts' get up he's been wearing these past few weeks. When a thought crossed his mind, he laughed.

Killua, meanwhile, was confused. "What's so funny?"

"Don't tell me you're dressing to impress the kids at the academy!" Gon said, continuing to laugh. Killua blushed and made an indignant noise before walking out the apartment and going down the stairs. Gon closed the door behind him and raced after Killua still chuckling. "Don't worry Killua! I'm sure they'll think you look cool."

"Stupid! I'm not trying to look cool. I just... wanted to switch up my outfit! I used to do that all the time! Remember back at Heaven's Arena and Yorknew?" Killua said. Gon chuckled again but nodded. "Exactly! This is nothing new."

Gon smiled but said nothing. He didn't have to. He was just glad that in all this craziness of getting mixed up in a new world, he still had his best friend by his side. He was very glad that he met Killua and was able to save him from the sadness his family was causing him.

"Woah! You look nice for once Killua! Trying to charm me?" Sakura asked with a giggle as soon as Gon and Killua exited their building. Gon and her made eye contact and they immediately busted out laughing while Killua fumed.

"As if I would ever try that, pinky! I just got tired of wearing the same thing all the time. We're not training today so I figured I should switch things up," Killua said while walking down the block. Gon didn't even know if he was going the right way, but when Sakura laughed and followed, Gon guessed he was.

"He's so trying to look cool," Sakura whispered to him with a giggle. Killua, who heard, glared back at them but kept walking. Gon and Sakura laughed before she addressed both of them, "Thanks again for walking with me guys. I know you said you wanted to see the academy but still. It means a lot."

"No problem Sakura! You'll be done with the academy soon so we won't get this chance again." Gon said. At this, Sakura smiled slightly and nodded before averting her eyes. Gon, as attentive as he is, picked up on this. He waited a few minutes before he spoke again. "...Is something wrong?"

"Hm? Oh no, not really..." Sakura started, but when she saw the disbelieving looks that both Gon and Killua were giving her, she sighed. "Fine. I just feel like my time in the academy went by so fast and I wasted it. I literally didn't start taking being a ninja seriously until right before I met you guys and now I feel so stupid. I was stuck in a childish dream, acting like academy life would last forever and I wouldn't have to grow up," she sighed again. "And to top it off, most of that time was wasted by liking a guy who wouldn't give me the time of day."

Gon was confused and Killua raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't he Sakura? You're a very nice girl! And very beautiful too! It would be his loss."

Gon saw Sakura blush and shake her head before saying, "Thank you Gon-kun. But, you see, Sasuke-kun is very distant and... mysterious. He has this dark past that seems to hold him back from others so he doesn't really talk much to anybody. But I guess girls are just attracted to that type of thing because me and almost all the other girls in the class have all had a crush on him at some point..." She sighed and shook her head. "I know it's kind of shallow... but something about him just kind of draws me in, makes me want to learn more about him... But that's kind of hard to do because he won't let anyone else in. He thinks of himself very highly and is at the top of our class, so he sees the rest of us as not worth his time."

"In other words, he's a bastard." Sakura looked at Killua, shocked that he had said that. "He thinks he's the only one with a tragic backstory? Ha. Everybody has their own sob story, some more than others. But that's no excuse to treat everyone else like trash without giving them a chance."

Sakura hummed thoughtfully. "Yeah but... a few days ago Sasuke-kun had been acting different when it was just us two alone... he was still kind of cold but... he talked to me more than I expected and treated me more... kindly? ...In his own way?" She shook her head. She doubted Sasuke saw it that way. "But then again, when I saw him again in the academy, he was back to his usual cold and detached behavior... I don't think he always acts like that with everyone. Maybe he's just uncomfortable around most people in general because of all that he went through? Which causes him to be distant?"

Killua sighed. "Gon and I have a friend who's entire family was murdered and the corpses were mutilated. While he does still have some lingering issues from the trauma and can be distant, he is still one of the most reliable people you could meet and he truly cares about his friends. He can be cold and blunt, but that's just part of his personality, he isn't arrogant. But that guy you're talking about," Killua pauses to look at her, "sounds like he doesn't care about anyone but himself."

"At least somebody finally said it."

Gon and the others looked behind them and saw a boy with tan skin and a spiky ponytail looking at them with a bored expression on his face. He was the one who had spoken. Behind him was a chubby boy with spiky brown hair and red spiral marks on each cheek. He was munching on a bag of chips and looking at them with interest.

"Shikamaru! Choji! Where did you guys come from?" Sakura asked in bewilderment.

"They've been walking behind us for a while now," Gon said. Killua nodded in agreement and looked back at the boy, now known as Shikamaru, who was speaking again.

"Everyone in our class is always Sasuke this, Sasuke that. Even the teachers..." he sighed and closed his eyes. "It was really becoming a drag. Thank God somebody finally told it like it is." He looked at them with the slightest amounts of interest. "I've never seen you two at the academy though. Who are you?"

"I'm Gon Freecs!" Gon announced as he smiled and held out a hand which Shikamaru reluctantly held his own hand out to shake. Gon pointed behind himself at Killua. "His name is Killua Zoldyck. We're friends of Sakura and going to be ninja too! But we're being homeschooled so we don't have many friends our age!" He beamed at Shikamaru. "Let's be friends!"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and studied them for a moment before shrugging. "I've never heard of a homeschooled ninja. But whatever, you don't seem like the lying type." He pointed at himself. "I'm Shikamaru Nara, and this guy..." he pointed at the boy behind him, who was waving shyly while eating, "...is Choji Akimichi. Troublesome to meet you, even though you guys seem less troublesome than the students here," he said with a lazy smirk. Gon laughed and Killua slowly smirked back. He liked this guy. Sakura just looked between the boys with confusion. "But unfortunately, the bell is about to ring. We should get going. You too, Sakura."

Sakura nodded and turned to them. "I'll see you later guys. You still coming to meet me after school so we can go back to your place?" They both nodded. She smiled. "Okay, see you then." She turned to Shikamaru and Choji. "Let's go you two. Class is about to start," she said, grabbing both their arms and dragging them along.

Shikamaru looked back at them with a long suffering expression. "This is a very troublesome friend you got here. I don't know how you handle her," he said before Sakura grabbed his wrist more tightly and he winced. "Wish me luck. I'll need it." He sighed and turned back around to continue walking.

The two hunters sweatdropped, watching them go. After a few moments, Killua spoke. "He's an interesting guy. Not really what I imagined kids here would be like. I thought they would all be a bunch of idiots." Gon laughed but suddenly a voice caught his attention.

"Oi! Loser! You haven't dropped out of the academy yet?!" The voice yelled. When Gon and Killua turned, they saw a boy walking from the other side of the academy with feral features, a gray hoodie, and red tattoo marks on each cheek. Despite the dog sitting atop his head, Gon could smell that a lot of the animal-like scent is coming from the boy himself. He was walking behind a blonde boy wearing an orange and blue jumpsuit with green goggles resting on his head and blue sandals. The boy had a particularly annoyed look on his face as he tried to ignore the other boy's taunts.

 _"Wait..."_ Gon thought. _"That's him!"_ The blonde hair and orange jumpsuit were dead giveaways.

The blonde boy, meanwhile, had turned around to face the one bothering him. "What the hell do you want you damn mutt?! Didn't eat your dog food this morning?!"

"Oi... watch your mouth, idiot! I'm asking why you came back to the academy! You missed almost a whole week, you might as well have dropped out!" The dog boy yelled. "We're all about to graduate and you're still failing! It's been pissing me off for years that you ignore what I say and keep trying! Don't you get it?! You'll NEVER become a ninja!" Civilians who were walking by turned to watch the spectacle warily but kept walking.

No one was going to step in for the blonde boy? Defend him? Or at least tell the bully that he was being a jerk? Gon felt his blood start to boil as his fist clenched.

"...Yup, right on cue. There's the idiot I expected," Killua said before turning back to Gon. When he saw that the boy's aura was building up and he was shaking with anger, he warily stepped closer and put a hand on his shoulder. "Oi, Gon. Are you ok? Chill out... there might be people around us who can see your aura."

"Chill out? Did you not hear how that bastard talked to him? How everyone else is ignoring it? Who is he to spit on somebody's dreams like that?!" Gon gritted out.

Killua was nervous. Once Gon was angry, he got tunnel vision and it was very difficult to stop him. His emotions were very volatile. "Gon, I get it. It's really annoying to see. But we don't know those guys and we don't know the situation. Maybe we should ju—" Before Killua could even finish his sentence, Gon had suddenly dashed out of his grip and appeared in between the two boys. The dog boy had tried to throw a punch at the blonde one but Gon had tightly grabbed his wrist to stop the punch. The blonde boy looked on in shock.

"What the? Who the heck are you, bastard?" Dog boy said. Gon narrowed his eyes and squeezed the boy's wrist _hard_. "Yow! What the HELL! Get off of me!" The boy's dog growled at Gon but one look from Gon made it shut up and whimper in submission.

"What gives you the right to tell him to give up? That he can't become a ninja? You have NO right..." Gon growled as his grip tightened and his aura started unconsciously intensifying, "...to talk down to him and insult his dreams!" The dog boy was looking at him in a mixture of pain and anger while his dog was whimpering. The blonde boy was watching on in shock.

"Gon, hold up!" Killua shouted as he put a hand on Gon's wrist. "We could get the other guy in trouble for this! What if the teachers take this mutt's side?" He whispered to Gon, whose eyes suddenly widened. He loosened his grip on the boy's wrist and the boy pulled his hand away before glaring at the two of them angrily.

"Who the hell are you guys? Some other idiot friends that damn loser Naruto has? And what was with that damn grip strength? What are you?" He asked. Before the blonde boy—now known as Naruto—could retort, Gon spoke up.

"None of that matters. All I know is that you better stop trying to be a bully. You don't have the right to tell somebody what they can and can't do," Gon said with narrowed eyes. "Now go!" Dog boy was about to refuse, but when he noticed how his pet was whimpering, he simply glared at them and left. Ignoring the multiple civilians and few ninja that were watching from the shadows, Gon turned to Naruto. "Are you ok?"

Naruto eyed him and Killua warily, taking a step back. "Why did you help me? I didn't ask for it..." he said. Gon and Killua both observed that he didn't seem to trust them.

Gon shook his head and said, "I just don't like seeing stuff like that." He held out his hand for the boy to shake. "He said your name is Naruto right? I'm Gon Freecs. This is my friend Killua Zoldyck," he said as he pointed at both him and Killua. Naruto reluctantly took his hand, as if he was expecting this to be some type of trick. "We're new around here and we don't have many friends. Would you like to be friends with us Naruto-san?"

Naruto looked hopeful for a moment, but it quickly disappeared and he started laughing. But both Gon and Killua could tell it was faked. "New here, huh? I guess that explains a lot. Trust me, you don't wanna be friends with me," he said with a devious grin. His expressions and words didn't match up at all, they noted. "Anyway, sorry for the trouble but... I can handle dog breath on my own. Been dealing with him and many others like him for years now. It's no biggie." He turned and waved at them as he walked through the academy doors. "I gotta go to class now... If I'm late today, Iruka-sensei will kill me!" He looked back and grinned. "See ya!" Soon enough, he was out of their sight.

"Killua…"

"Yeah..." Killua said, instantly understanding what his friend wanted to say. "Something is off with that guy."

The boys both knew that his on the surface joking persona was faked, but they had different ideas of the person behind it. While Killua was wary of Naruto and sensed a dark presence from him, Gon watched him go, only seeing a sad boy.

* * *

"Are you sure you're ready, Biscuit-san?" Hiruzen asked. "I've personally designed this test with the idea that you're around Sannin level. The ANBU won't be aiming to kill you, but if you're lower than the expected level it will be difficult to handle this exam. You can say 'stop' if you want to quit midway, but this is your chance to back out before we start." He looked over the blond woman clad in her new attire. She had decided to ditch the attention-grabbing princess dress for the exam and now wore a black sleeveless shirt with a dark red corset around her waist and chest, baggy black legging shorts, and dark red ninja sandals.

"Nah, I'm ready," Biscuit easily replied while stretching. She had a certain self-assuredness about her that had everybody anticipating how well she would do. "I'm not sure what this Sannin or whatever level is though."

"Biscuit-san, you told me you used to specialize in weapons right? Are you sure you want to go into this fight barehanded?" Kite asked. "You're up against twelve ANBU members, three different elite teams attacking at once."

Bisky looked at Kite. "Oh wow, I thought there were more than that. Guess I didn't pay too much attention to counting," she said while stretching. She looked around at the ANBU. "Listen up. I'm purposely holding back so I don't injure any of you too badly. But I can't make any promises. I'm bad at holding back, especially when I'm fighting opponents who try to rush at me like you guys will no doubt try to do." She paused before continuing. "So, if any of you would like to quit and save yourself the potential pain, go ahead." Nobody moved an inch. Bisky smiled. "Only follow orders from the Hokage, huh?" She turned to Hiruzen. "Okay, I've said what I had to say."

"I assume you understand all the rules?" Hiruzen asked. Bisky nodded. Basically, she had two options. Option one was that she had to defeat half of the ANBU members by knockout or TKO from hitting each one at least five times. Option two, involved the scrolls that each ANBU had strapped to their hip. Biscuit had to figure out which one of them has the 'important scroll' and then take it from them. Or, just randomly steal scrolls until she gets the right one. "Normally, genin exams emphasize teamwork and cooperation skills. But since you're a special case, and since I know that you already have chemistry with Gon-kun and Killua-kun, your test will be more of an uphill survival battle. Are you prepared?"

Biscuit just nodded.

Hiruzen watched her for a moment before glancing at Kite and nodding. "Ready..." He raised his hand into the air, "BEGIN!"

* * *

"I win again," Shikamaru said, leaning back with a sigh.

"DAMN IT!" Killua yelled as he stood up and grabbed his head.

Gon laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay Killua. Shikamaru probably has a lot of experience with this game."

Killua calmed down but was still sour. "I know but... this damn shogi game is so similar to a game called chess that I grew up playing!" Gon smiled at him reassuringly and took his spot in front the shogi board since it was his turn.

While Shikamaru and Gon played and Choji watched, Killua went into a quiet contemplation. _"There seems to be a lot of similarities between this world and ours, like the fact that we speak the same language and eat a lot of the same food... I thought it would feel more like some type of fictional manga here, but instead it just feels like we traveled to a different part of our_ _world."_ Killua's eyes settled back on the shogi board, but he paid no attention to the moves either side was making. _"This world is clearly very different from ours, with the geography and history and all that. But it doesn't seem completely foreign. I wonder if it's more connected than we realize..."_

Suddenly, the door bell rang. "I'll get it!" Killua said. He already knew who it was anyway. He opened the door revealing Sakura, who was panting lightly, no doubt from running all the way home and back. "How'd it go?" He asked as he let her inside.

Sakura sighed. "Well, I told them I was going to be at a friend's house and they didn't stop me. But my mother clearly wanted to. She seems to be catching on to the fact that it's not Ino's house I'm going to..." She waved her hand dismissively. "But she has nothing to worry about. I'm old enough to take care of myself. She's just been getting more and more edgy the closer graduation gets..."

Sakura had already been to his and Gon's apartment a couple of times over the past few days. Ever since that first dinner went really well, Killua had actually started to connect more with Sakura. At first, he didn't want to be around her because he was slightly jealous of how she interacted with Gon and was scared she would steal his best friend away. Especially when she blushed almost every time she talked to him. He only tolerated her because she was helping Gon with his studies and because he found training her amusing.

But, as he came to realize, Sakura was friends with both him and Gon. She didn't even mess up their dynamic, only added onto it. Not to mention Bisky took a liking to her. Plus, she was pretty fun to mess with.

He shook his head and commented on Sakura's situation. "Well, can't say I blame her. Her only daughter is about to become a ninja. She's just worried."

Sakura hummed and nodded before changing the subject. "So, how many times did you and Gon lose to Shikamaru while I've been gone?"

Killua scowled. Leave it to her to redirect the conversation to that. "I've lost three times and Gon lost twice. Though, I'm pretty sure he's about to lose again."

When Killua and Gon went to meet Sakura after the academy day was over, she had brought Shikamaru and Choji with her. Apparently, she had never really talked to them much because she was too busy rivaling with some other girl and trying to talk to Sasuke which made Shikamaru steer clear of her. But they sat together at lunch that day and found out they had a lot and common.

Sakura and Shikamaru both loved shogi and reading. Sakura and Choji both loved BBQ and butterflies. She offered them to come with her, Gon and Killua after school to their apartment so they could play shogi. She had a feeling that Gon and Killua would be ok with it and they were. Gon was fine with it, always glad to have more friends. Killua was fine with it because Gon was and he himself found the boys—mainly Shikamaru—interesting company.

The main conversation on their walk back to the apartment had been them talking about the rumor of a boy in green threatening a boy named Kiba in front the academy. Shikamaru and Sakura looked pointedly at Gon, who laughed sheepishly. Killua, surprisingly, was the one who filled them in while they were walking. By the time they had made it to the apartment, they all were laughing and cracking jokes, particularly about Kiba. Killua had never thought he would be that comfortable around kids his age, but he owed it all to Gon.

Killua and Sakura walked in the room to see Gon sitting at the shogi board with smoke coming out of his ears, Shikamaru lazily smirking at him, and Choji watching the smoke come out in confusion.

"How is he.." Choji started.

"Don't ask," Killua and Sakura replied in unison.

Along with Sakura, Gon and Killua have made two new friends in Konoha. Neither of them knew if they could count Naruto, even if Gon wanted to.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bisky was sitting atop an ANBU member with a scroll open in her hand. "I had a feeling this was the right scroll... well..." she said as she dropped the scroll. "...Not like it even matters now anyway." She looked around at the unconscious bodies of the twelve ANBU that were scattered across the training field. Most of their masks were broken. Some had broken bones and other injuries. Some were bleeding from head wounds or cuts that Bisky inflicted by using some of their weapons against them. One of them was planted head first through a tree trunk. It was a wonder that one was even alive.

"Wha…" Hiruzen tried to say.

Kite was speechless. He doesn't think his jaw has ever dropped lower.

"Well..." Bisky said as she looked over at Kite and Hiruzen. "As you can see..." she motioned at all the unconscious bodies around the clearing. "...I'm pretty strong."

* * *

 **Chapter 6 End**


	7. Stalk x and x Shadow

Thank you to everyone who reads and everyone who leaves reviews! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter or Naruto.

* * *

 **Stalk x and x Shadow**

* * *

"You can't be serious Sakura!"

"I'm serious mom. You thought I came this far just to not graduate?"

After a few short weeks, today was the day. Sakura had gotten up early that morning to get ready for her genin exam at the academy. She didn't know exactly what the tests would entail besides the written portion and the basic three ninjutsu so she made sure she was prepared. She stacked her pouches with kunai and shuriken as well as the ninja wire Sasuke bought her, which she had been practicing with on her own time. She put on her regular red dress, red ribbon, green shorts, blue sandals and her new pink arm sleeves that Gon and Killua had bought her a few weeks ago. She had told them they didn't have to do that, but they said they borrowed the money from a man called 'Kite' anyway.

While she had been getting ready for the day and looking in the mirror, her mother, Mebuki, opened the door and quietly entered her room. Sakura, sensing the tension between them, had stayed quiet and kept her eyes trained on the mirror, waiting for her mother to speak. This inevitably lead to her mother trying to dissuade her from becoming a ninja. Go figure.

"Look Sakura..." Mebuki started, "When your father and I let you join the academy, we thought you were just going through a phase. You were really shy but you wanted to be a tough, strong girl. So we let you join with the hopes that it would make you happier for a bit and break you out of your shell before you realized it wasn't for you... You're not cut out to be a ninja."

Sakura laughed. "I figured it was something like that. Still not changing my mind though." She tried to ignore the hurt from her mother's doubt in her.

Mebuki paused for a while and sighed. "I know you haven't been going to Ino's house, Sakura." Sakura tensed, but continued packing her ninja pouch as if she hadn't heard. "You should know that news travels quickly, especially among the civilians. The past couple of weeks your father has had people tell him that you've been seen around two boys a lot and was even seen entering a building with them more than once. You think it's ok to lie to us about going to see Ino when really you're going to a BOY'S house? Sakura, you're twelve!"

It took a moment for what her mother was implying to sink in. She turned around in extreme annoyance. "Ok, and? What the hell do you think happened there?" She asked. "They're my FRIENDS. We didn't do anything wrong! Besides, there was an adult there to supervise us." _"Sometimes,"_ she added mentally.

"That's besides the point," Mebuki said, crossing her arms. "You lied to your parents to run around with these two boys. That's obviously saying that you don't believe we'd approve. Why? Bad influences, probably. Not to mention I heard that they're foreigners."

"No!" Sakura shouted. "It's not that they're bad influences! It's because I knew you would overreact like this! You're so suspicious and over the top! That's why it's so hard to deal with you!" At Mebuki's shocked face, Sakura continued. "I'm happy with Gon and Killua! They're the first real friends I've had in a long time! But you wouldn't know that because you're too busy trying to shelter me! I'm about to be a ninja for crying out loud!"

It turned into a full-on argument once Mebuki started yelling back. "That's the problem!" She said. "You're becoming a ninja and growing up too damn fast! This life isn't MEANT for you Sakura! Don't you understand? You're different from all those clan kids in the academy! I'm a stay-at-home mother and your father is one of the village's best venders! Do you really believe a daughter from those two will become a good ninja?! You and those other clanless kids in the academy don't fit in!"

"I KNOW!" Sakura yelled over her. There was a pause for a few moments before she kept speaking. "I know that I don't come from a clan. I know that I'm not as well suited to become a ninja as others. I know I don't fit in. I know... but guess what?" Mebuki just raised an eyebrow. "Gon and Killua don't fit in either. I don't know if they're clanless, but they're both foreigners, as you say and don't have the same skillset of a typical ninja. They aren't exactly the standard of what a ninja should be, but they're still strong! Why? Because they've trained! And those two believed in me and told me that if I worked hard, I could become strong too. And then maybe, just maybe, I can be a good ninja!"

"Saku-"

"I know what you're going to say. You'll say 'if you have to do all that, why bother becoming a ninja in the first place?' The thing is... it took me a while to realize... but I really do want to become a ninja," Sakura said, head bowed. "Yeah it's dangerous and everything, but it can also be very fun. It's a chance to form bonds with teammates and colleagues and connect with people who have gone through similar experiences to me. It's a chance to help people and make some sort of positive change. It's a way to protect those I care about." She paused, but continued on. "At this point, I would feel too out of place in a civilian job. Especially when the few friends I have are going to be ninja." She took a breath and looked Mebuki in the eye. "So, I won't back down from the challenge. I'll train hard and do whatever it takes to be a capable kunoichi. I'll prove you wrong too."

Mebuki maintained eye contact for a few seconds before looking down at her daughter's arm sleeves. "Yes... Judging by the bruises on your arms you keep trying to hide, I'd say you've already started trying to do that." Sakura subconsciously crossed her arms. Mebuki looked back up at Sakura. "Fine. Do what you want for now. But just make sure you stay safe and don't do anything foolish. If you ever feel like being a ninja isn't for you, quit immediately." Turning around, she continued. "But If I find a reason for you to stop being a ninja, I'll do everything I can to take you out of that lifestyle." She walked out and shut the door with more force than necessary.

Sakura sighed. She loved her mother, she really did, but she couldn't emotionally connect with her. She was so hard to talk to. Pushing those thoughts out of her mind, she got ready to head out with a smile on her face. She was taking a step towards her future.

 _ **"AND LOOKING DAMN GOOD WHILE DOING IT!"**_

Her Inner self WOULD take this nice moment to suddenly make a reappearance after so long. Typical.

* * *

Later on that day, Gon and Killua were having their final review for their written test with Bisky. While the academy kids had their tests and graduation today, Gon and Killua had their written exam tomorrow and the practical exam the day after. Bisky had mostly left them on their own to study, but now she was testing them to make sure they were ready.

"Okay," Bisky started, "You two seem more or less ready for the test. I have no doubt in my mind you'll pass. Killua, you can go take a walk or do whatever you want for now." Killua nodded and got up.

"Bisky? What about me?" Gon asked. "You said we both were ready right?"

"Well, yes, but Gon, I still have a few things that I want to go over with you some more. The higher your score, the better. Killua seems to have everything remembered though." Gon clutched his head and groaned while Killua laughed at his expense.

He patted Gon on the shoulder. "Hang in there, Gon. I'm going for a walk, I'll be back in a bit. Want to get some shogi practice when I come back?" Gon smiled and nodded. Killua was still surprised that Gon actually liked shogi. He usually was into things that involved being more active (with the exception of fishing). But he guessed that Sakura encouraging Gon to see it as a form of training and competition worked wonders.

Killua walked out and was met by the fresh, evening air. He knew Sakura was at the academy graduation ceremony with her parents and wondered if he was too late to stop by. Gon and Killua were originally going to go but Bisky stopped them and forced them to study for a few hours. With no where else to go, he began walking the route that he had memorized lead to the academy.

After a while of walking in silence, Killua reached the academy and noticed that there were still a few people left around from the ceremony, but Sakura was gone. He couldn't see her and couldn't sense her, so he figured she went home. Sighing, he turned around and got ready to walk home when suddenly he saw something interesting. He saw the blonde boy him and Gon met, Naruto, up on a roof talking to a shady looking man with grey hair. The man had an obviously fake smile plastered on his face and seemed to be manipulating the hopeful looking boy. Killua narrowed his eyes. He didn't like it.

Killua looked around to see if anyone was watching him. Nope. Nobody paid him any mind. With stealth acquired from years of assassin training, Killua slid into the alleyway next to the building that Naruto and the man were on. He quickly scaled the wall and climbed up to a balcony right below the roof. Fortunately, he was able to hear what they were saying.

"Trust me Naruto. I wouldn't lie to you." That was the man's voice.

After a pause, he heard Naruto's voice. "Thanks Mizuki-sensei!" Killua didn't like how grateful Naruto sounded. He sounded too trusting. It was weird because he didn't seem to trust Gon and Killua when they met him the other day. Is it because this man is an adult?

The man laughed. "Anytime." Killua heard both of them leap away, and he eyed Naruto as the boy jumped across rooftops with a happy grin on his face.

 _"Gon wanted to be this guy's friend... I can't let anything happen to him."_

Looking around to see if he had been spotted, he followed Naruto until he saw him land on the ground and go inside an orange apartment building. From the looks of the neighborhood, Killua almost pitied the boy. He lived in a ghetto area of Konoha. There were shady looking individuals, hookers, and homeless people all around. The building he lived in even looked run down.

 _"Maybe I should take this time to..."_ He suddenly felt a presence appear behind him and reacted instantly by spinning around and throwing out a kick. The figure dodged and grabbed his leg before flipping him on his stomach and holding him in a position where he couldn't move. "Who the hell are you?!"

"State your reasons for following that boy." The voice was masculine but so cold and detached, it reminded Killua of members of his family, particularly Illumi.

He shivered but turned around to look at his assailant. As he came face-to-face with someone wearing a cat mask, he remembered what he read in the textbook about ANBU. "I saw some suspicious man talking to him. It seemed like the guy was manipulating him. So I thought I'd follow just to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. He seems naïve." The ANBU just stared at him blankly, not saying a word. "I'm not lying! I'm serious!"

There was a pause before the ANBU nodded and got off of him, letting Killua stand up. As he dusted of his clothes, he heard a snap and looked up to see the ANBU gesturing for him to follow. The ANBU began jumping across buildings and Killua had difficulty keeping up with his speed.

 _"These ANBU guys are really strong... He took me down with no difficulty..."_ He looked up to the ANBU's back. _"I could see what Kite meant when he said ninja can be harder to deal with than Hunters. It's like mixing assassins and hunters together."_ The fact that the ANBU dared to show his back to Killua spoke volumes of how outclassed the boy was.

By the time they stopped, Killua was panting lightly. He could effortlessly run several kilometers but just trying to keep up with this guy jumping across rooftops slightly tired him out? Ridiculous.

He looked back at how far they'd come. _"Then again, it seems like we came far... I can't even see anything from the area we were just at... and I guess quickly jumping across rooftops takes a lot more energy than running at a moderate pace."_ Not to mention the fact that he didn't use nen because he didn't want to attract attention or make the ANBU attack him again.

The ANBU signaled for him to follow him as he climbed down from the roof. Killua watched as he tapped on a window and waited for it to open before sliding through it. Killua followed his example and next thing he knew, he was in the Hokage office.

"Why, hello, Killua-kun. Did he do something wrong, Cat-san?" Hiruzen said.

 _"What the hell?"_ Killua thought. _"I was so focused on keeping up that I didn't even realize we were at the Hokage Tower?"_

"The boy says that he saw Naruto speaking with a suspicious man and he believes that Naruto was being manipulated. He followed Naruto back to his apartment with stealth skills that not even a lot of jounin have," Cat said emotionlessly. "You see, he was jumping across rooftops right behind Naruto, but his steps made no noise at all. Not many children are capable of that. Mostly only ANBU are able to pull that off due to training and the special sandals we wear. This boy," The ANBU pointed at Killua's feet, "is wearing sneakers that look heavy. They should produce at least some sound. Additionally, I could not sense the boy's presence. The only reason I noticed him is because I was high up on a roof myself and just happened to spot him. I reasoned that he could either be an assassin or that he could actually be telling the truth about Naruto. Due to this, I figured it would be wise to bring him to you to decide what to do."

The fact that the ANBU brought Killua straight to the village leader told the boy that he wasn't being viewed as a total threat. That was good.

...Or it just meant that the ANBU knew that him and the Hokage could take Killua down easily if he posed a threat. Not good.

Hiruzen nodded. "I appreciate the support, Cat-san. But Killua-kun isn't an assassin."

"No, I am," Killua said. When he saw both Hiruzen and Cat tense and their chakra instantly flare up, he took a step back. "No... not like that." Why the hell did he blurt that out? He was stepping into dangerous territory here. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead at the intensity of their auras, particularly the old man. "I don't know what it means to be an assassin to you guys, but I come from a family of assassins. I've had assassin training since I was three and I have many techniques designed for assassination. The silent steps you talked about," he looked at Cat, "are an assassin technique. But I quit being an assassin a while ago. I'm not a threat to the village. I'm sure you know that, from my situation." He directed the last part to the Hokage who nodded in understanding and relaxed.

"Well... I'm glad to clear up that misunderstanding... and it certainly explains a lot... Does Gon-kun have assassin training too?" When Killua shook his head negative, Hiruzen sighed in relief. "At least one of you isn't so full of surprises..." He muttered. Killua didn't know what he meant by that. Was he referring to Bisky? Did she tell him her age or something? "Anyways, relay your story about the Naruto situation."

Killua nodded and told the two everything he saw and heard. Hiruzen was tense but he nodded. Cat was motionless but for some reason, Killua could sense his aura gradually intensifying throughout his explanation. Was he getting angry?

"I see... Mizuki-kun has never acted out before... but that does sound very suspicious." Hiruzen hummed and stared at the ceiling while holding his chin. "It wouldn't be good to call him out and then find out he's innocent, but I fear for what he could have convinced Naruto to do. People in this village aren't exactly forgiving when it comes to that boy." Killua had to wonder what that meant, but before he could, he was being addressed. "Killua-kun, how would you like to do an off the records mission for me?"

"A mission?" Killua asked. He thought missions were done in teams by genin. And he technically wasn't even a genin yet.

"Yes... This is a chunin level mission... but from what Cat-san has said about you and from what you've told me... I can only deduce that you are capable of carrying it out," Hiruzen said. "I want you to keep an eye on Naruto and see if he makes a move soon. Since the boy just failed the graduation exam and Mizuki is his teacher, I'm sure this has to do with that. The genin get placed in their official teams by tomorrow. Meaning..." he trailed off.

"Naruto will most likely make his move tonight," Killua finished. At Hiruzen's nod, Killua added, "And Mizuki will probably meet up with him at some point. I'm guessing you want me to catch Mizuki in the act of doing something bad?" Hiruzen nodded once again and Killua had to pause. "But why me? Aren't there ANBU you could assign this job to? Like him?" He said while pointing at Cat. "And how would I even get proof?" Last time he checked, there weren't portable cameras here.

Hiruzen stared at him for a moment before pulling out a purple crystal ball. "Well, you might not like this but, this crystal ball allows me to see anyone I want so long as I know their energy signature, have seen them in person, and have set the jutsu on them. It also lets me save anything I have seen with the ball and to watch it at a later date." Killua nodded, thinking that it was a neat ability. "You see, ever since you got here, I've been using it to watch you in particular. Since you and the others have a very different type of energy signature, it wasn't hard to remember it. I just happened to remember yours' first."

Killua didn't know how to feel about that. He knew it was to ensure the safety of the village, but... "So... is it active, like, ALL the time... or..."

Hiruzen, sensing the boy's discomfort, chuckled. "Don't worry. I only check on you boys from time to time to see if you're doing ok. And if someone I'm watching is ever doing something that is... private... I immediately deactivate the jutsu. Hokage's honor." Killua had to wonder what the hell the Hokage meant by 'private.' He said it in a way that sounded like it referred to more than just using the bathroom. "Now, the thing is, I can only have three people to watch saved at a time. I have you, and two others. You see, I don't want to remove any of those from the jutsu. No offense Killua-kun, but I must watch you for a bit to ensure the safety of the village. I know you don't have ill intent, but could have a dangerous ability placed on you. Anything is possible."

"I understand." And he did. Just like anything was possible with nen, anything could be possible with chakra. For all the Hokage knows, Killua could be being controlled right now without even realizing it himself. "So you want me to follow Naruto, see what he does, and see what Mizuki does so you can catch him in the act on your crystal ball." Hiruzen nodded. "No problem. This is child's play compared to the work I used to do. I snuck up on Mizuki easily."

"Yes, which is why I need you to also protect Naruto. If Mizuki tries anything, I'm trusting you. I know you are young and that Mizuki is a chunin, but I can tell you are strong and I am confident in your skills," Hiruzen said. "If you need backup, just put your hand in the air and hold up the number 'three.' I'll send help immediately. If I feel like you are in danger, I'll take it upon myself to send help. But understand that either way I'm still going to pay you generously for this mission. No genin ever gets this opportunity, much less someone who isn't even a genin yet."

Killua bowed. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. I will carry out my mission." Killua felt all types of awkward. Him and manners didn't mix.

Hiruzen laughed. "I can see how uncomfortable you are. Just call me 'Hiruzen-san' or 'Sarutobi-san'. Think of me as an older friend. Tell Gon-kun the same when you get the chance."

Killua smirked slightly. "How about old man? I think that's more up my alley."

Hiruzen cackled, amused by the boy's boldness. "Why yes, if that makes you comfortable." He sobered up and got slightly serious. "Good luck Killua-kun. Let us hope that things go smoothly tonight."

"Yeah, I'll do my best." As Killua made his way to walk to the door, he saw Cat, who he had forgot was even there, nodding at him. He nodded back in respect and exited the office. As he walked down the stairs to exit the building, he could only think one thing.

 _"...Did I really get myself into this?"_

* * *

 _"...Yup... I really got myself into this..."_

It was now nighttime and Killua was following Naruto who had just stolen some scroll from the Hokage's building. He had briefly went back home after he got his mission to let Bisky know where he would be. He told Gon that he was just going walk around alone for a bit, but he could tell Gon didn't completely buy it. He promised to tell Gon what was really going on when he returned. He just knew that if Gon knew where he was actually going, he wouldn't hesitate to come along too. Gon has good stealth skills, but he also could get very emotional and jeopardize their position before they even get all the evidence. Hence why Killua does stealth work better alone.

And now, he was watching from atop a tree as Naruto was down below using the scroll to practice some type of clone technique. He was making quite a few of them too. Killua briefly wondered if he should be stopping this, since that scroll seemed to be important. And Naruto was learning very quickly... wasn't that dangerous? Back when him and Gon first met him, Killua had sensed some type of dark presence from inside the boy. But now, he didn't know. If this naïve kid routine was an act, it was a damn good one.

 _"I sense it too,"_ Gon had said when Killua brought it up. _"But... it doesn't really feel like it's is coming from him... it just... I don't know how to explain it. But he's not bad, I can tell! He just seems lonely... he kind of reminds me of how you used to be Killua… that's why I want to help him!"_

He trusted Gon's instincts, but he didn't know if the boy was hiding pain, or something sinister. If he was hiding his true self right now, that made him all the more dangerous. But then again, it wasn't his mission to stop him. His mission was to watch so the Hokage could spectate from the crystal ball and see what exactly Mizuki was trying to do.

Killua thought back to how the ANBU had snuck up on him. Obviously, ninja had to be good at concealing their presences. Mizuki could possibly already be here, watching Naruto too. Revealing himself first could be the most foolish move he could make. He has to wait it out. Just for now, he has to fall back on his assassin training.

* * *

"Hokaga-sama! The brat has gone too far this time!"

"He won't get away with this one!"

Hiruzen sighed. Leave it to Mizuki to spread the word around. He'd hoped this would be a quiet operation so that Killua could handle it with no one the wiser. But now, it seems as if it was Mizuki's intent to go out of his way to get people to hate Naruto even more so he can be a scapegoat. All the pieces were falling into place.

"It's been a few hours since the scroll has been taken. We must find Naruto. Head out!" The shinobi all scattered. Hiruzen, unfortunately, had to send out a search because it would seem suspicious if he didn't. Until he got more proof that Mizuki was behind all this, he would have to make Naruto the enemy, as much as it pained him. He could only hope none of them will find where Naruto and Killua are and that Mizuki shows up and exposes himself. That would be the best case scenario.

As he headed back into his residence to continue spectating Killua and Naruto from his crystal ball, he either didn't notice or just didn't care to confront the figure in green who had been listening in from the roof. The figure jumped off in the direction of Killua and Naruto.

* * *

Meanwhile, Killua was about ready to just find Mizuki and kill him. _"I forgot how boring it is doing surveillance... when the hell is this guy going to show_ _up?"_ He had been watching Naruto practicing this damned 'shadow clone jutsu' and 'true transformation jutsu' for hours now. He had even taken long breaks in between each training session. The boy was now laying on the ground tired, and Mizuki still wasn't there. _"I could be playing shogi with Gon right now!"_

As if on cue, somebody dropped into the clearing in front of a tired Naruto and Killua tensed, ready to protect the boy. But he relaxed slightly when he noticed it wasn't the man he'd seen earlier.

 _"Is this one of his colleagues? No, Mizuki didn't seem like he would orchestrate this with others... Maybe the Hokage sent him? Or he was worried about Naruto and came looking for him?"_ He watched as the man and Naruto talked with familiarity, the man even calling him an idiot and asking why he looked so beaten up.

"Never mind that! Hey! If I show you an incredible jutsu I just learned, you'll let me graduate, right Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked, excited smile on his face. By 'sensei', Killua guessed this was one of Naruto's other teachers.

"Naruto... where did you get that scroll on your back?" Iruka asked uneasily.

"Oh this? Mizuki-sensei told me about it! And about this place too!" Killua watched as Iruka's face slowly went from unease to confusion. "He said that if I learned a jutsu from this scroll and showed you, I'd definitely graduate!" Killua had no doubt in his mind now. This wasn't an act, he was just really naïve and hopeful. Mizuki took advantage of that.

Iruka's face twisted into horror. "Mizuki did..?" At that moment, Iruka and Killua both simultaneously sensed a new presence in the clearing when suddenly kunai were thrown at Naruto and Iruka. "LOOK OUT!" Iruka pushed Naruto out of the way and took the attack himself. Mizuki appeared on top of a tree with two large shuriken on his back.

"Nice job finding him... Iruka," Mizuki said smugly.

Iruka, who was stabbed in multiple areas, glared at Mizuki. "I see... so that's what's going on here..."

Mizuki smirked before looking at Naruto seriously. "Naruto, give me the scroll!"

"H...huh? What? What's going on here?!" Naruto demanded. Killua observed that the boy was wobbling on his feet, probably still worn out from the training he did.

"Naruto! Don't give him the scroll even if you die!" Iruka yelled. "That's a dangerous scroll with forbidden ninjutsu in it! Mizuki used you so that he could get his hands on it!"

Amongst this conflict, Killua was fighting with his own instincts. The hunter side of him, the side that was created as a result of all the adventures he'd had with Gon, is telling him that he has gotten all the evidence he needs and that he should take down Mizuki. But the assassin side of him is telling him stick to the mission and to not reveal his presence.

Ninja were mostly unknown to him. Regardless of whether or not he was stronger/more skilled than Mizuki, he didn't know if he could take him in a fight with the unpredictable factors ninja have. He was trying to force his body to act, but he kept flashing back to when the ANBU snuck up on him and how easily they could have killed him. Mizuki, too, had probably been here for a while before Killua sensed him. That unnerved him.

"Naruto... you seem to be in the dark right now... so..." Mizuki's words snapped Killua out of his inner turmoil. "I'll be honest with you..."

"NO! Don't!" Iruka yelled.

"Twelve years ago... you know about the demon fox being sealed, right? The one that brought terror to the village?" Mizuki started. Naruto nodded slowly. "Since that incident, a rule has been created for the village. A rule that isn't supposed to be told to you." Killua had a feeling where this was going.

"What rule? Why? What kind of rule is it?" Naruto sounded so confused that Killua felt bad for him. Gone was his devious persona and all that was left was the lost boy underneath. He was starting to understand what Gon meant.

Mizuki let a cruel smirk show on his face. "The rule that states no one is allowed to talk about the fact that you're the nine tailed fox that attacked the village all those years ago. The same one that destroyed the village and killed Iruka's parents!"

"Shut up!" Iruka yelled desperately.

Killua couldn't even move or react.

The dark presence he sensed... was because Naruto is a demon...?

But Mizuki just continued. "You've been sealed up by the Fourth Hokage you admire so much and lied to and hated by everyone!"

"STOP IT!" Iruka's yells didn't seem to reach Naruto.

"Didn't you find it odd how everyone hated you? Hell, even the kids, who don't even know what you truly are, hate you!" Mizuki laughed. "Maybe they can just sense that you're a demon in disguise, one with only selfish and destructive desires. Why would anyone care about you? Why would anyone _love_ you?!"

Killua didn't know if he was getting soft, or if this was just hitting too close to home for him, but he felt his heart clenching in empathy for the boy. Naruto looked so lost, confused, scared and empty. Killua couldn't help but flash back to the Hunter exam, when Illumi had tormented him in a very similar way. But yet, he still couldn't bring himself to move.

 _ **"Don't carelessly rush into a situation you have no place in."**_

 _"Illumi?"_ Why was he hearing Illumi's voice in his head? Why... was he shaking?

 _ **"To reveal yourself prematurely means death. Ignore everyone except you and your target."**_

 _"What the hell?"_ He was breathing heavier and sweating. The sound of Illumi's voice shook him to the core, and brought back memories of how ominous his aura felt.

"Iruka is no different!" Mizuki continued, twirling a demon wind shuriken. "He may act like he cares, but he just wants to keep you under his watch and control! He actually despises you!"

At this, Killua could see that Naruto was close to breaking. The boy's eyes went blank for a second before he went into a primal state, ready to move at a moment's notice.

"Naruto that's not true! I do care about you! What happened to my parents had nothing to do with you!" Iruka yelled. "He's trying to break you! Don't listen to him!"

But Naruto couldn't hear him.

"Nobody will ever accept you nor care for you! Die!" Mizuki threw the shuriken, and Killua could only watch in horror as it headed towards Naruto.

"NARUTO! GET DOWN!" Iruka screamed.

 _ **"You only feel pleasure when people die."**_

Killua clutched his head. _"No!"_ He closed his eyes, not wanting to witness the boy's death, but suddenly heard what sounded nothing like flesh being pierced.

The shuriken had been stopped and Killua had to blink multiple times to make sure he was seeing correctly. Gon had jumped in front of Naruto and caught the shuriken with one hand.

 _"How long has he been here...?"_ From the look on his friend's face, Killua had to guess he was there long enough to hear what Mizuki told Naruto.

Naruto, Mizuki and Iruka all looked shocked, but Naruto the most. "Why...?" He asked shakily. His whole body was trembling, betraying the conflicted emotions he was holding inside.

"Who the hell are you, kid? Some friend of the demon?" Mizuki asked. Although, it was clear he was wary of Gon, particularly because of how he easily caught such a big shuriken with one hand.

Gon never took his angry eyes off Mizuki. "...Who do you think you are?!" A fierce white aura shrouded Gon and Naruto took a step back in surprise while Mizuki looked on in wariness. "How dare you spout off like that acting like you know what Naruto is really like and how Iruka really feels about him! And on top of that, you're lying!" Mizuki flinched. "I can tell that the story you told is only a half-truth! You left out details!" Gon turned to look at Naruto. "Naruto... don't listen to him! He doesn't know you! Trust Iruka! He really cares about you!"

It was silent in the clearing. Naruto looked over at Iruka, Mizuki and then back to Gon with conflicted eyes. "What do _you_ know..." Suddenly, he dashed away from them with Iruka screaming for him to come back. Gon had turned back to Mizuki to deal with him when suddenly the man did a substitution jutsu and disappeared.

"Damn!" Gon said before turning to Iruka and quickly pulling the knives out of him. "He went after Naruto!" Iruka nodded before going through hand seals and disappearing too. Gon turned in the direction Killua was hiding. "...Killua, you can come out now."

Killua was shocked Gon knew where he was hiding despite him concealing his presence. But then again, Gon probably was using his sense of smell. That was most likely what lead him here in the first place. Killua jumped down in front of Gon, feeling enormous guilt. "Gon.. I.." Suddenly, Gon hugged him. He couldn't understand. Shouldn't Gon be punching him for not doing anything? For almost letting Naruto die? "Why...? I didn't even do anything.."

Gon looked at him and smiled. "I know you heard everything that guy said about Naruto. It hurt you too, right?" Killua's eyes widened but he said nothing. "I understand why you didn't tell me, Killua. Bisky told me it was a mission. But, I felt like you might need help. So I came after you." He squeezed Killua's shoulder. Killua looked down. "Let's do this. Together. Naruto-san needs help too."

Killua said nothing for awhile before turning his head away in embarrassment. "Then let's go help him, stupid." He quickly leapt into the trees and heard Gon following behind, laughing mirthfully. Despite this being a tense situation, he was glad he had a chance to lighten up a bit before getting back into conflict. With Gon by his side, he felt much more confident. They could do this.

* * *

Naruto was tired. He was scared, confused, hurt, angry, had a headache, was ready to break down, but above all, tired. Tired of running, tired of hiding, tired of acting like everything was going to be okay. As he hid behind a tree close to where Mizuki and Iruka were talking, their conversation only drained him even more.

"Iruka… you're an idiot. Naruto and I are the same," Mizuki said. What did he mean by that?

"In what way?" Iruka asked.

Naruto could practically feel Mizuki smirking. "That scroll has unlimited power in it. You're assuming Naruto wouldn't abuse it." He cackled. "Get real! There's no way that demon fox wouldn't use it's power! Just. Like. I would!"

"Yeah..."

Naruto felt the little bit of hope he was holding onto fade away. Iruka _agreed_ with this bastard. He didn't care about him. No one did. They all hated him. He didn't know why he had even slightly believed in what that Gon boy had said. He bowed his head, never hating himself more than he did now.

"The _demon fox_ would do that..."

Naruto's head snapped up in shock.

"But Naruto... is different... he's one of my most excellent students..." Naruto's eyes widened, but Iruka wasn't done. "He may not be the hardest working... or the smartest... but at such a young age he already knows what it's like to feel pain in your heart.." Tears were sliding down Naruto's face. "He isn't the demon fox... He is a valuable member of Konoha... Naruto Uzumaki!" The boy had to cover his mouth so his crying wouldn't be heard.

Mizuki said nothing for a while, but then scoffed. "Whatever. I was gonna save you for after I kill Naruto and that other kid, but you're annoying me." He began twirling a demon wind shuriken. "DIE, IRUKA!"

Naruto's body moved before he could think. He jumped out into the clearing but stopped when he saw two figures simultaneously punch Mizuki and send him flying into a tree. It was that Gon boy again and this time he was with his other friend, Killua.

"No you don't!" Gon said before Mizuki suddenly disappeared in smoke and a log was left behind. "Huh? Another substitution?"

"Stay on guard, Gon. He's hiding his presence," Killua said, shifting into a battle stance.

"Right!" Gon shifted into one too, eyes darting around the clearing.

Iruka took two kunai out and pushed Naruto into the center of what was now a three way defensive formation.

Naruto didn't know how to feel. "Hey... why are you guys all protecting me? You don't have to.."

"Because we want to!" Gon said matter-of-factly.

"This guy's already done enough," Killua added.

"And I don't think I need to repeat what I said about you Naruto..." Iruka glanced at him and smiled. "You're precious to me..."

Before Naruto could feel truly happy that he had three people that seemed to care about him, he heard Mizuki's laughter coming from all directions. They all tensed. Suddenly, a fireball launched at them out of nowhere. Gon and Killua dodged while Iruka picked up Naruto and jumped the other way. Suddenly, Naruto started feeling dizzy and like he couldn't move his body. All he could see were a bunch of colors, completely blinding him. He heard Killua curse, and Gon grunt, telling Killua to use something called 'Gyo'.

"Naruto! Kids! Damn!" Iruka yelled, sounding far away. He also heard sounds of combat, probably between Iruka and Mizuki. "That was a dirty trick Mizuki!"

"Dirty?" Mizuki chuckled. "We're ninjas. Fighting dirty is what we do. And besides," he said, "if these other kids were confident enough to come out here and play hero without even knowing how to dispel a simple area genjutsu, they deserve to die a cheap death!"

 _"Die..?"_ Naruto thought. _"They're going to die.. because they came to save me? He's going to kill Iruka-sensei too..?"_ He could feel himself panicking, but he didn't know a way out of this illusion. The colors just kept clouding his mind more and more. _"Damn it.. I'm such a nuisance.. if I never listened to Mizuki.. If I wasn't so stupid... they wouldn't be in this mess.. It's all my fault.."_

As if a switch had been flicked, Naruto's mind slightly cleared and his thoughts drastically changed. _"Hell no! Mizuki's the one planning to kill them and they aren't dead yet! I HAVE to stop him, no matter what!"_

 _ **"Heh heh… is that so brat?"**_ Naruto heard a voice in his head, but he was too busy trying to get out of the genjutsu to dwell on it. _**"Well then... perhaps I'll do you a favor... but only because I don't like the idea of dying because my weakling of a host couldn't break out of a mere illusion."**_

Naruto suddenly felt an unfamiliar power moving through him, making a path from his lower stomach all the way up to his brain. Next thing he knows, he's on the ground panting, but more or less out of the illusion. What just happened?

 _ **"You owe me now kit..."**_ The voice said. _**"This was a one time thing... don't expect me to bail you out of every situation..."**_ Just like that, the presence in his mind disappeared.

Naruto had an idea of who the voice belonged to, but he shifted his mind to the more current threat, Mizuki, who was standing above a beaten Iruka and staring at Naruto in anger.

"What?! How the hell did you break out, brat?" Mizuki demanded. "You've never been good at breaking genjutsu! You used your damn demon powers didn't you?!"

Naruto bowed his head and stood up. "It doesn't matter how I got out..." Naruto said lowly. He looked around the clearing at Iruka, who was stabbed by multiple kunai and struggling to remain conscious, and Gon and Killua, who were still struggling in the genjutsu. He felt anger build up inside him, both at himself and Mizuki. "What does matter is... you hurt my friends." He steeled his resolve and glared at Mizuki. "I'll never forgive you. I'm taking you down!"

"Naruto.. no.. run away..!" Iruka said. He heard Gon and Killua also speak, but they spoke too low for him to pick up what they said.

Mizuki started walking over to Naruto with a smirk. "Oh? Really now? I could take down a punk like you in one shot!" He began twirling another demon wind shuriken.

"Try it, bastard! I'll return the pain a hundred times over!" Naruto formed a hand seal the exact moment Mizuki started running at him. "Take this! Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Mizuki stopped running to gawk at the one hundred shadow clones that now surrounded him. Iruka was shocked while Gon and Killua, who just managed to escape the genjutsu, were amazed. Gon 'wowed' and Killua whistled, the biggest sign of respect he can give.

"There's so many Narutos..." Gon said. Killua wordlessly nodded, shocked because the boy hadn't made nearly as many clones at once when he was practicing earlier.

"What's wrong?"

"Come at me!"

"What happened to killing me in one shot?"

"You won't come?"

Naruto clones were all talking at once, unnerving Mizuki. "What.. what the hell is going on?"

"Well.." One of the Narutos said, "I guess... _we'll come to you!_ " They all held up a fist with smirks on their faces and dived at Mizuki.

Mizuki proceeded to scream in terror and pain as he was jumped by an army of Narutos.

* * *

"Hehe... I guess I overdid it a little.." Naruto laughed nervously.

"No kidding.." Killua said, eyebrows twitching. Mizuki was on the ground with a face beaten almost beyond repair.

"That was amazing Naruto! You're really strong!" Gon beamed. Naruto blushed and thanked him quietly before laughing it off. He felt a little lightheaded.

"Naruto..." Iruka said. The three kids turned to him. "Come over here and close your eyes. There's something I want to give you."

* * *

"Did anyone find him?!"

"No!"

"Where the hell could he have gone?!"

"This is bad!"

"He might be far away by now!"

Hiruzen sighed as he came out of his residence to address all the anxious voices outside. "There's no need to worry." The ninja all turned to him. "He'll be back soon," he said with a smile. He counted this mission as a success for not only Killua, but Gon as well. Even though Naruto finished Mizuki, Killua is the one that allowed Hiruzen to get evidence for Mizuki's treason and Gon had saved both Naruto and Iruka. The three boys were all very promising, and he couldn't wait to see how they would grow. Their potential seemed to know no bounds.

Naruto, in particular, gave him a lot to look forward to for the future. The boy must have a high chakra output to be able to make 100 shadow clones at once.

He didn't know what to make of the mental issues Killua displayed though. He seemed to plagued with something much more than simple fear. But, he supposed that Gon would be able to help him with that. The interaction the two had by themselves had brought a smile to the man's face.

* * *

"Not yet guys?!" Naruto asked anxiously. He had been closing his eyes for a while now. If he had them closed for too long he might fall asleep.

"Be patient stupid," Killua said, with Gon laughing in the background.

"Ok, you can open your eyes now," Iruka said. Naruto opened his eyes to see a headband-less Iruka, a smiling Gon and a smirking Killua. "Congratulations... on graduating." Naruto felt his lip trembling, bringing his hands up to feel the headband now tied around his own head.

"Let's celebrate!" Gon said. "Bisky took us to this ramen place that's really good!" Naruto felt his lip trembling more.

"You _would_ say that..." Killua said, staring dryly at Gon. He looked back at Naruto. "You should pick the place. Where do you want to eat?"

Naruto couldn't take it anymore. "You guys!" He jumped at them and enveloped all three of them in a big hug.

Gon was laughing, Killua was embarrassed, and Iruka was smiling. Naruto cried for about a minute before he was hit with an overpowering wave of fatigue.

"Wait.. I don't feel ri..." He suddenly collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

"Oi! What happened?" Killua said as him and Gon knelt down to check on him.

"Naruto-san, are you okay?" Gon asked. He put a hand to the boy's face, checking for fever.

"It's okay." Gon and Killua turned to look at Iruka, who spoke. He had a fond smile on his face. "He just fainted because of the jutsu. The shadow clone jutsu takes a lot of chakra to even produce one, but he made a hundred all at once and no doubt he made many more before. On top of that, when shadow clones are dispelled, the creator receives all their experiences as memories. He must've been getting hit with the mental experiences of each clone and eventually they overwhelmed his mind." He laughed. "But he'll be ok. He just needs rest. Every jutsu has it's drawbacks after all. Even the most powerful ones."

Gon turned to Killua and whispered, "Just like hatsus..."

Killua shrugged. "Basically."

They all watched Naruto's sleeping form for a bit before Iruka turned to them. "I assume you're the two boys that the Hokage told me were new to the village and were becoming genin soon... Gon-kun and Killua-kun, yes?" They nodded. Iruka smiled. "Well, I don't know how you guys met, but please continue being Naruto's friends. I know you won't be on the same team as him but please watch over him when you can."

"Of course! You can count on us!" Gon replied with no hesitation.

Killua glanced over at Gon before looking back to Iruka. "What this guy said. Friends stick together."

Iruka smiled and looked back at Naruto. In just one day, it seemed like the boy's life had taken so many steps for the better. This just made him all the more scared for what Naruto will experience when he actually becomes a ninja. He was only at the starting line.

* * *

 **Chapter 7 End**

In case any of you didn't notice, I changed up Hiruzen's crystal ball jutsu a bit (or should I say added to it). I took inspiration from Palm's hatsu and added restrictions and a new ability (recording) to the crystal ball just because it was never really fleshed out much in the series.

I also toned down the extent of Naruto's shadow clone jutsu (his max in the first chapter of the manga was 1000, but I toned it down to 100). I also added limitations to it to make it even more difficult and risky to use. This is all for the sake of making it so that he won't be able to just spam clones to fight. I plan to have Naruto be a very creative and tricky type of fighter, not someone who just spams two jutsus and relies on Kyuubi chakra.

But anyway, thanks for reading!


	8. Friends x and x Teams

Thank you to everyone who reads and everyone who leaves reviews! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter or Naruto.

* * *

 **Friends x and x Teams**

* * *

Naruto woke up with a start when he heard his alarm clock ring. He rubbed sleep out of his eyes and scrambled to turn it off before looking around. He was in his room, but he couldn't remember how he'd gotten there. One look out the window told him that it was really early in the morning, and his clock confirmed that it was 6 AM.

He got out of the bed and stretched before seeing a note on his nightstand. Picking it up, he read,

 _"You passed out, so the three of us brought you home. Don't forget to be at the academy at 8 AM for your team assignment. I'm really proud of you Naruto!"_

\- Iruka

 _"Hi Naruto! I set your alarm clock so you wouldn't oversleep. So hope you had a good rest! See you at the academy!"_

\- Gon

 _"Nap time's over. Now get up and go to the academy. Me and Gon will see you there. You can't get rid of us that easily."_

\- Killua

 _P.S. "Forget about what that bastard said. Iruka explained the situation to us. You aren't the fox. The fox is just sealed inside of you. Don't be stupid."_

\- Killua

Naruto smiled and felt tears come to his eyes. Iruka's acknowledgement made him really happy, but he was especially touched by the friendship Gon and Killua seemed to be extending to him. When he first met him he figured they just pitied him and would eventually come to dislike him just like everyone else. So he chose to just keep his distance from them, not wanting the disappointment.

As he raced around his apartment, brushed his teeth, took a shower, and quickly boiled the instant ramen that was left on his table (no doubt by Iruka), he was excited to see the two boys again in a more normal setting and actually get the chance to form real friendships for the first time. He felt like he was a step closer to his dreams. Not even the revelation of the Nine-tailed fox being sealed inside him could bring down his spirits.

Tying on his new ninja headband and jumping out his window, Naruto felt on top of the world.

"I'm definitely, going to become Hokage!"

* * *

Later that morning, Gon and Killua had just entered the academy. Gon wore his Greed Island outfit: white tank top, green shorts, and green boots, with his Paladin's necklace proudly on his neck. Killua had on the black long-sleeved sweater, purple jeans, and brown shoes he wore back at Heaven's Arena. One was happily greeting everyone who walked by and the other was too busy looking for their assigned room.

"Where is... 103? We should've passed it already..." Killua wondered, looking around absentmindedly. They were next to Room 105.

"Hmm..." Gon hummed, looking around. "Maybe we missed it?" Killua nodded and they both turned around to walk back down the hall to no avail. "Or... maybe not?" Gon laughed sheepishly while Killua's eye twitched. Suddenly, Gon perked up and Killua looked at him confusedly. "What if this is part of the test? The Hunter Exam had tricky puzzles like this too!"

Killua considered that for a moment, but doubted it. He had a feeling this would be a lot different from the Hunter exam. "Maybe..."

"U-umm... d-do y-you two n-need help?" Gon and Killua turned around to see a timid looking pale girl with short blue hair and white eyes. "I c-couldn't help b-but overhear... s-s-sorry..."

Killua raised an eyebrow. This girl was a mess. Gon, on the other hand, beamed at her. "Yeah, thanks! We're looking for room 103. Do you know where that is?"

The girl pointed at a wooden door that was all the way down the hall. "I d-don't k-know why but... 103 is t-the door a-all the way a-at the end of the hall..." She stuttered out. Killua raised his other eyebrow, because what the hell was the sense in that?

Gon smiled and nodded at her. "Hey, what's your name?"

The girl looked surprised and started twiddling her fingers. "H-Hinata... Hinata H-Hyuga…"

Gon held out a hand. "I'm Gon Freecs!" Hinata shook it, blushing a bit. Gon then pointed at Killua, who had a blank look on his face. "This is Killua Zoldyck!" He turned back to her. "We owe you a lot, Hinata-san! We probably would've been late to our genin exam if it wasn't for you!"

The girl looked surprised when he said genin exam, but started blushing more before nodding and bowing. "I-it was my p-pleasure." She picked her head up and smiled shyly at the two of them. "G-good luck... G-gon-kun… K-Killua-kun…" She turned around and walked into a room, probably where her class was taking the test.

"I'll never understand how you make friends so damn easily," Killua said dryly. Gon grinned at him and laughed slightly. "Whatever. Let's go get this test over with." They started walking towards the room, where they already sensed one person inside. Probably the proctor. "We'll see the others after we're done."

"Right!"

* * *

"I hate tests..." Gon drawled, walking out of the room drowsily.

Killua raised a brow at him. "Weren't you the one that was so confident in passing? You even passed all the practice tests me and the old lady gave you and the real test was basically the same. Don't tell me you think you failed?"

"No... the test was easy with all the memory tricks Sakura-chan taught me..." Gon said. "But jeez, it was so boring! Sitting there for over two hours for a test? Ugh!" He sighed. "That was even worse than the tests I took back home when Mito was homeschooling me."

Killua could relate. He had gotten a lot of tests like that given to him by his mother, but he had never particularly liked taking them. But of course it was imperative that each Zoldyck was highly intelligent, especially the heir. "Yeah, well, be thankful that now that we're ninja, we won't have to take anymore written tests." Gon relaxed slightly and Killua couldn't help but mess with him. "Probably."

Gon's head dropped. "Let's just go to the room we were told to go to. Bisky and Kite should get here soon."

Killua nodded, chuckling at the boy's expense. As they walked down the hall, they saw three people walking out of a classroom ahead of them. One was a woman with long black hair and red eyes. Another was a boy with a blue jacket, brown hair and black shades on. The other two were familiar faces.

"Hi Hinata-san!" Gon said, waving at the girl they had met just a few hours before. She turned to look back at Gon, surprised that someone had actually called out to her, and blushed before shyly waving back. The woman and the boy with the shades also turned to look at them curiously before turning and leaving. Hinata bowed to them and left to follow her teacher, mumbling something about having to go and seeing them around. She seemed to be a particularly shy girl.

There was only one person left standing there, glaring at them.

" _You_ again," Kiba snarled. Gon just stared at him unbothered, and Killua had to restrain himself from laughing. He wondered if Gon had any idea how funny he looked. "I don't know who the hell you are, but one day I'm gonna kick your ass." He was speaking specifically to Gon.

Gon wasn't phased. "Right back at you." Him and Kiba had a stare off for a few moments before the woman called out to Kiba and he turned around to leave with his team.

"...Well that was fun," Killua commented. "We'll have to tell Sakura, Shikamaru, and Choji about that later."

Gon laughed and continued walking to the main academy classroom, Killua following. When they walked in, they were instantly met with four familiar faces and two new ones.

"Hi Sakura-chan! Naruto! Shikamaru and Choji!" Gon greeted, waving at each of them. Sakura was sitting near the front next to a grinning Naruto and a dark haired boy with her newly acquired leaf village headband replacing her old ribbon. Shikamaru and Choji were further in the back next to a blonde girl. Killua walked in behind Gon and smirked at all four of their friends, even winking at Naruto when he looked at him and Gon with happiness.

Sakura turned and smiled at them. "Hi Gon-kun, Killua-kun. How was your test?" Gon groaned and Sakura looked at him in confusion. "That bad?"

"Nah, we both passed," Killua explained. "There weren't really any hard questions." He felt the dark-haired boy and blonde-haired girl eyeing him, but he continued regardless. "Gon just finds it hard to sit still and take a test for more than a few minutes."

"I bet," Shikamaru commented. "Every time we played shogi he was bouncing up and down until his brain finally fried. Kid's got too much energy." Gon stuck his tongue out at Shikamaru, Killua smirked, and Sakura giggled.

Choji, who had taken a break from eating chips, also commented. "Imagine Gon in the test room with steam coming out of his head again! Ha!" Shikamaru, Choji and Killua all busted out laughing while Sakura covered her mouth and giggled. Gon pouted but eventually started laughing too. Killua laughed harder when he remembered how the test proctor had kept asking if Gon was okay when he saw the smoke coming out his ears. He would have to tell the others about that later.

Everyone but Naruto, the dark-haired boy and blonde-haired girl laughed. Naruto was still smiling but he seemed to be feeling left out.

Gon, picking up on this, walked over to Naruto and began talking to him. "Hey, Naruto, you made it! We were kinda worried you would oversleep after last night." He laughed and Killua saw Naruto smile in gratitude. No one likes feeling out of the loop.

"Yeah, well, I probably would have if you didn't set my alarm for me. Thanks guys!" Naruto said. Killua noticed Sakura, Shikamaru, and Choji all staring at him and Gon in curiosity. He couldn't blame them, they didn't know that they had become friends with Naruto. The last time he was brought up in conversation was when Killua told them about what Gon did to Kiba and how Naruto had kind of distanced himself after that. He was glad they got a chance to get through to him.

"Ok, who are these guys and how do all of you know them? I've never seen them in the academy before!" The blondie said. Gon and Killua turned to look at her but Killua was confused when she blushed after meeting his eyes. Normally, people had a very different, more fear-based reaction when they met his eyes. It was Gon who made people blush.

"The one in the just a tad too-short shorts is Gon. The one trying too hard to make a fashion statement is Killua," Shikamaru said, smirking lazily at them. "They're going to be genin too. But they were homeschooled."

Killua smirked back and Gon looked down at his shorts and asked himself 'what's wrong with them?'

When Naruto, Choji and Sakura started laughing at their expense, Killua couldn't help but think back to a time when he couldn't even dream of having playful moments with his friends like these. He briefly looked over at Gon and mentally thanked him for everything good that was coming his way. He even wanted to see Kurapika and Leorio again so he could deepen his bonds with them. He hoped they were doing ok, especially Kurapika.

"Homeschooled ninja? There's no such thing!" Blondie said, waving her hands in frustration at being out of the know.

"Well, they're standing right there, Ino. Believe us or not. But me, Shikamaru, Sakura and apparently Naruto are all good friends with them," Choji said. Killua noticed out of the corner of his eye that the dark-haired boy was outright staring at them, so he turned to meet his gaze. The boy was giving him a cold look. What's with that?

"Got an issue?" Killua asked coolly. Everyone quieted once they realized who he was talking to. The dark-haired boy just closed his eyes and turned away. "Oi, duck hair, I'm talking to you. What's with the cold stare?" At this, the boy's head turned to him with an even colder stare.

"Who the hell are you." The way he said it, it didn't even sound like a question. "I've never heard of a homeschooled ninja."

From the way he looked, spoke, his arrogant demeanor, the way Sakura was nervously looking between them and shaking her head 'no' at Killua, and the way Shikamaru was rolling his eyes, something clicked and he figured out that this was the 'Sasuke' Sakura said she admired and 'liked'. Killua narrowed his eyes and smirked, ready to mess with his ego. From the corner of his eye, he saw Gon look back and forth between them with curiousity while Naruto, Choji and Ino watched on with anticipation.

"Oh, because the world just revolves around you, huh? It MUST be impossible if YOU never heard of it!" Killua fake laughed and saw Sasuke getting irritated. "Well have you heard of manners? I don't think you have, Duck-san."

The tension got thick as ice. Sasuke and Killua were in a staring match so intense the others swore they saw sparks in the atmosphere.

Suddenly, Sakura stood between them. "C'mon guys, there's no need to fight. We're all becoming ninja soon after all. We'll be comrades." She gave Killua a look that said 'Stop messing with him! You're causing conflict!' Killua made a cat-like face in response and he could tell she didn't appreciate it.

"I don't see any of you as my comrades. We're becoming ninja in the same village and a few might be on the same teams. That is all. I have my own goals that I plan to achieve myself. I don't care about the rest of you," Sasuke said, eyes closed. Sakura and Ino flinched, Shikamaru looked annoyed, Choji was eating without a care, Gon just stared at him blankly with a tilted head and Killua raised an eyebrow. He was worse than he thought.

Naruto, who was sitting right next to Sasuke, turned to glare at him. "Why are you always such a bastard? You think you're better than anybody?"

"And you're the worst of all, loser. You're an embarrassment to all ninja. I'm not even sure why you're still here."

Oh no. Killua tensed, but he doubted anyone but Sakura noticed. Why the _hell_ would this Sasuke idiot insult Naruto, of all people, while Gon was in the room? Wary of how his friend would react, he turned his head to glance at Gon. To his surprise and confusion, Gon wasn't angry and getting ready to defend Naruto or attack Sasuke. He was simply staring at the dark-haired boy with curiosity. Like he was trying to figure him out. Gon could be really damn unpredictable at times.

"Sasuke-kun, that's not nice!" Sakura said in Naruto's defense. "Naruto is going to be our teammate. You shouldn't be so mean to him. At least try to be nice?"

"We're not here to play at being friends. I have my goals, and you either have or don't have your own goals. All I want from my teammates is that they stay out of my way. But even that will be a problem with the dead last over here."

Ok, now Killua was getting annoyed. This guy really thought he was hot stuff. "If anything, Sakura and Naruto should be worried about _you_ getting in _their_ way." When Sasuke turned to glare at him, he continued. "I don't know who you think you are, but let me tell you, you're nothing special." Sasuke's eyes narrowed even more. "You act all high and mighty as if you're the most capable ninja here, but I doubt you've even been in a real fight. Meanwhile, Naruto was in a real fight against a chunin and won. Alone." At the shocked and disbelieving faces that turned to Naruto, Killua smirked. Naruto put his head down on the table in embarrassment at all the attention.

Sasuke, especially, was in total disbelief. Right before he was about to retort, somebody else spoke.

"You don't mean Mizuki-sensei?!" Blondie questioned. All eyes turned to her. "I heard rumors on my way here this morning that he went traitor and someone stopped him but... I thought it was just regular old village gossip..."

"Yup. That's him. He was defeated by Naruto last night. Whether you think I'm lying or not." Everyone in the room besides Gon, Naruto, and Sakura gave him disbelieving looks, but Killua just turned back to Sasuke. "Meanwhile, what have you done? Stay at the academy your whole life and train a bit?" He laughed again and could tell he was really grating on Sasuke's nerves. "That's nice, but putting things into practice in the real world isn't as easy as you think. Naruto has already pulled it off. Have you?"

Killua knew Mizuki was barely chunin level. Iruka had told him and Gon that Mizuki has been off the force for years and was primarily a teacher now, so he was rusty and not as combat-oriented, which allowed Naruto to defeat him. Plus, there was the fact that Mizuki was tired from fighting Iruka and Naruto caught him off guard by jumping him with 100 shadow clones. But hey, Sasuke didn't need to know that!

Sasuke suddenly got up out his seat and started marching over to Killua. "I'll show you—" He was cut off when suddenly a man with long whitish-blonde hair appeared in between the two boys.

"Kite! I was wondering when you'd show up! You've been on the roof for a while!" Gon said. Killua mentally agreed. They'd sensed that Bisky had also been up there with him, but she left for some reason.

Kite smiled slightly. "Sorry Gon, Killua. I had things to discuss with Biscuit-san." Gon nodded in understanding while Killua shrugged. "But it seems like you've been stirring up trouble in the meantime." He looked pointedly at Killua, who blushed and looked away.

Before anyone else could ask who this guy was, another man entered the room. He was dark-skinned with dark hair, a beard, and a cigarette hanging from his lips. "The name's Asuma Sarutobi. If you're on Team 10, it's time to go." He looked straight at Shikamaru and company, already knowing who his students would be.

Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome..." He nodded at Sakura, Killua, Gon and even Naruto. "Me and Choji will catch you guys later I guess. Duty calls."

Gon and the others said their goodbyes to Shikamaru and Choji, with Sakura and Ino making brief eye contact before looking away. Killua noticed this, but decided not to bring it up. He also noticed Shikamaru give Sasuke a side-eyed look, which made Killua smirk. Shikamaru was a cool guy to have as a friend.

Asuma walked up to Kite with a friendly smile and shook hands with him as they exchanged words too low for the rest of the ones present to hear. The two men laughed as Asuma patted Kite on the shoulder. "Good to have you back in the village Kite. People have missed you. Hopefully you'll be around more often than not nowadays." Kite nodded at him and Asuma turned to his team. "Alright, let's get going team."

Shikamaru gave a long-suffering sigh in response as him and Choji waved at their friends before following their teacher and Ino out of the classroom.

"We should get going too, Team 11," Kite said. "Biscuit-san is waiting."

"Okay," Gon said before turning to Sakura and Naruto. "Bye guys! We'll see you later!"

"Yeah, good luck," Killua said, looking at Sasuke and back to his friends. "Seems like you'll need it." He turned around without even bothering to see Sasuke's reaction. If looks could kill, Killua would be missing his heart right about now.

Sakura waved at them. "Bye Gon-kun! Bye Killua-kun! I'll see you guys later!"

"And don't worry! I'll kick Sasuke's ass if he acts up!" Naruto chipped in. Sakura lightly smacked him in the head and told him to 'be nice!' Sasuke scoffed and turned to the window, ignoring their existence.

After walking out the room, Kite turned to look at the two boys. "Seems like you've made some.. interesting friends..."

Gon sheepishly laughed and rubbed the back of his head while Killua looked at him dryly.

"You have no idea."

* * *

"My name is Kakashi Hatake. I'm the kind of person who doesn't like talking about his likes and dislikes! My dreams for the future are none of your business... but anyway, I do have a lot of hobbies."

Silence.

Sakura's eye twitched and she was sure her other teammates shared her annoyance. "So in the end..." she whispered to them, "...All we learned was his name?" This team meeting wasn't going so well.

"Well, I went. Now it's your turn sunshine," Kakashi said, pointing at Naruto, who grinned.

"The name's Naruto Uzumaki! I like ramen, pranks, and nice people!" He paused for a moment. "I hate... liars. I hate people who judge others... Hmm.. I hate people that act like they're better than others and try to talk down to them too!" Sakura could literally feel the shade Naruto threw at Sasuke. If Sasuke noticed, he didn't react. "My hobbies are pranks, jokes and jumping across rooftops I guess... but my dream... is to become the best Hokage this village has ever had! That way, every one will have to acknowledge me!"

Sakura was taken aback at that, but she could see why Gon and Killua would befriend him but dislike Sasuke. She had always found Naruto obnoxious due to how he acted so she stood clear of him and even was mean to him to get him to leave her alone. Her parents told her to steer clear of him too. But now that she thought about it, he did always seem to be on his own. If she had to guess, he doesn't actually want to cause trouble, he just craves attention. Maybe she could try being more understanding and pay more attention to him now that they're teammates.

"You're next, Prince Brooding." Sakura was snapped out of her musings by Kakashi, who was pointing a finger at Sasuke. Naruto was clearly trying and failing at holding in his laughter and she mentally admitted that it _was_ a fitting nickname.

Sasuke didn't show any reaction. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. There's many things I hate, and I don't particularly like anything. It seems worthless to talk about dreams... that's just a word..." Wow. What a pessimistic view on everything. Is it bad that a part of Sakura still found this cool?

 _ **"NOPE!"**_ Annnd there goes her inner. Sakura once again pushes her to the back of her mind when she hears Sasuke continuing.

"...But what I do have... is an ambition." Sakura shivered at the steely resolve in Sasuke's eyes. "I plan to restore my clan. And there's someone that I have vowed... to kill." Silence, once again. Part of Sakura found Sasuke even cooler than before, but the side that had been steadily brought to the forefront the past few weeks felt uneasy about him. There was something about that look in his eye that made her uncomfortable. One look at Naruto and she could tell he was nervous too. Maybe Killua shouldn't have messed with him.

"Ooh... how edgy." Leave it to their new sensei to break the tension. Naruto busted out laughing and Sakura had to bite her lip to stop a giggle from escaping. Sasuke glared at Kakashi, who just eye-smiled. Their new sensei was funny. "You next Pinky." Scratch that.

Sakura's eye twitched. _"...Pinky?"_ First Killua, and now her sensei?

 _ **"Can we punch him?"**_

 _"No! Go away!"_ Sakura sighed and began talking. "My name is Sakura Haruno. I like... being with my friends, reading, gardening, running, and just improving myself I guess..." Kakashi hummed at that. "Um..." She figured it would be best to give him a mature answer. Especially when she wouldn't exactly be lying. "I dislike... certain things about myself... but I've been working to change them." Kakashi hummed once again. He didn't do that for the others, so maybe she made a good call? "My hobbies are the same as my likes, but recently I've gotten a new hobby of going to the library and reading shinobi books and using them to teach myself things." Kakashi hummed even louder while Naruto 'wowed' and Sasuke said nothing. "My dream or goal or whatever... is something I'm still trying to figure out... I just know that right now, I want to be a shinobi. It just feels right, I guess."

Kakashi started clapping. "Well, well, well, I'm impressed." At Sakura's inquiring look, he continued. "You seem to be quite a bit more mature than your peers in a lot of ways, even if you're still a bit naïve in other ways. I was also very impressed by your academy grades. Very good, hard to believe you're as young as you are." Sakura blushed at the praise, thanking her sensei silently. She felt Sasuke eyeing her, but she decided to not meet his gaze. "Anyways, now that we understand each other better... let's get down to business. Formal training begins tomorrow."

Naruto jumped up in excitement. "Our first real ninja mission? What will it be? What will it be?!"

Kakashi surveyed them before speaking again. "Our first project involves exclusively members of this squad... and I wouldn't really even call it a mission... more like an evaluation..." Something about the way he said it made something click in Sakura's mind.

 _"I get it,"_ She thought. _"I remember Killua telling me that him and Gon would have a combat-based practical exam to see if they were qualified to be genin. Even though they're foreigners, why would they get it but not the academy students? All we got was a test for the basic three ninjutsu... Even back then I thought that was kind of suspicious... but..."_ She looked at Kakashi in thought. _"Maybe this is when we'll get our real test? And everyone who does well will be allowed on missions?"_

"It's a survival exercise... but the catch is..." He paused for tension, "...You three will have to survive against me. It won't be like the typical survival exercises you did at the academy."

"What type of survival exercise will it be then?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi, the bastard, started giggling.

 _"...I thought this guy was funny, but he's actually pretty weird..."_

 ** _"You could say that again."_**

 _"Why are you still here?!"_

Meanwhile, Naruto was getting impatient. "What the hell is so funny sensei?"

Kakashi, beginning to sober up, just waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, it's nothing. It's just that, if I told you, you'd want to chicken out."

"Chicken out? Why?!" Naruto asked.

Suddenly, Kakashi's face switched to serious mode. "Of the twenty-seven members of your graduating class, only nine will be actually accepted as genin. The extras will be sent back to the academy for more training. This test has a 66% failure rate." All three kids flinched at the tone shift and the man's words. "We aren't desperate for genin, we only seek those with potential."

Only nine will be picked?! It was even worse than Sakura thought! She thought everyone who did well would be accepted! But now they had to do extraordinarily well! Sakura gulped and glanced at her teammates. Naruto looked incredulous and even Sasuke looked nervous.

Kakashi started giggling once again and pointed at them. "See?! You're chickening out already!"

After Kakashi went over a bit more of the details and gave them handouts, he disappeared in a plume of smoke. But not before telling them not to eat breakfast before their test tomorrow.

Sakura was trying to stay calm. She had only recently realized she really wanted to become a shinobi and now that desire was being threatened in a way like never before. She turned to look at her teammates. Naruto was sitting with a stressed look on his face and Sasuke had gotten up to leave.

"Wait Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called out. He stopped and turned to glance at her. "This is a team exercise right? It's us three versus sensei. So the three of us should use this time to come up with some plans against him. Even if we don't know exactly what the test will be, we could plan for different scenarios, right?"

"That's a great idea Sakura-chan!" Naruto beamed. "If we work together we can pass this stupid test no doubt about it!"

Sasuke scoffed. "Hn. Stupid. I don't need your help." Naruto turned to yell at him but Sakura put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"It's not about what you need Sasuke-kun... but don't you think it would be smarter to plan ahead with this? We're barely genin and we're going up against a _jounin_! You can't possibly think that you can win!"

"He doesn't seem too worthy of respect. He got caught in the dead last's prank after all." Before Naruto could retort, Sasuke kept going. "I doubt the test is going to be beating him in a one-on-one fight anyway. Therefore, his rank is irrelevant. Whatever the test entails of, I can still pass. Don't loop me in with you." Sasuke turned on his heel and started walking away again.

Sakura gritted her teeth. He was acting _really_ differently from how he had that day when the two of them were alone. He was more closed off and his words held much more bite. She didn't know if he was putting on a show because Naruto was there, but she was starting to see how annoying he could be.

" _LOOK_ , Sasuke!" Naruto looked shocked, no doubt because she raised her voice at Sasuke and dropped the '-kun.' Sasuke stopped once again and turned to look at her in annoyance but slight surprise. "I don't know what's going through your head, I never do... but do you remember what you told me a few weeks ago? About you wanting me to be a useful teammate? Well now I'm trying to do that and you're brushing me off! I'm just trying to help! We're a team!"

They had a stare off for a few moments before Sasuke turned his back on them. "I thought I made myself clear in the classroom. I don't need anyone, especially not you two. Do whatever you like. As long as you don't get in my way." He jumped off the roof, not even bothering to respond to the blonde boy shouting after him.

"Damn it! Why is he always such a bastard..." Naruto said angrily. He had a confused look on his face that Sakura couldn't relate to more.

Sakura sighed. "It's because of his past... I guess..." Not that she knew the full details on that. The adults always kept the truth from the children. All she knew was that his family was killed.

"Yeah right! As if that's an excuse..." Naruto huffed and looked away. "...He's not the only one that's had to tough it out." At that line, Sakura had to really take a good look at Naruto. He said that almost as if he related to Sasuke a bit. "That doesn't give him a free pass to act like an arrogant ass..."

Sakura had to agree with him, remembering that Killua said something along those lines. She sighed. This team would be a handful.

"But anyway Sakura-chan," Naruto said, smiling at her. "Let's forget about him and go plan for the test!"

Sakura smiled at him and began walking to the edge of the roof. "Let's do it over ramen." Naruto looked stunned for a moment but smiled brightly and nodded. The two jumped down from the roof and Naruto lead the way to the ramen shop, chatting happily and making jokes the whole journey.

Sakura really was glad she met Gon and Killua. If it wasn't for them, she doubted she would've been able to see Naruto in a different light than she had all these years. Obnoxious. Dumb. Annoying. Troublemaker. Ideas that were all placed in her head by her peers and parents, although she herself wasn't free of blame. But just from the positive vibes that exuded from the boy as they travelled to the ramen shop, she felt annoyance at how she's treated him all these years. All because she never took the time to associate with him or try to understand him. He really was misunderstood, wasn't he?

With that, her thoughts wandered to Sasuke. She had begun to see him in a less than ideal light, and his negative traits were just fully exposed for her to see. She felt uneasy because of him, but she still wasn't put off. She had a feeling that at least part of what he shows is a mask. If anything, she just wanted to break it.

Pushing those thoughts aside, she dug into her ramen bowl beside a chatting Naruto. Only he would use prankster knowledge to plan for the test. Fool or genius? The world may never know.

* * *

The next morning, at 8 AM, Gon and Killua stood before Kite on a training ground field, ready for their practical exam. Bisky and the Hokage were spectating in the background, one wanting to see how her students did and the other to evaluate the boys' prowess. He had used a sealing jutsu that closed off the whole training ground, so nobody outside of it would be able to enter until he removed the seal. Nobody on the outside would be able to see or sense what's going on either.

"You boys seem very energetic this early morning," Kite commented lightly. He suddenly got serious. "Are you sure you're ready? I won't be going easy on you. Kids or not."

"Right back at you." Killua said while stretching his arms. He was wearing a navy blue long sleeved shirt with light gray kung fu pants, a black belt, black kung fu shoes, and a navy blue weapon holster strapped to his right leg. He had gotten the new outfit when Sakura had taken the boys to the shinobi clothing shop the other day.

Gon, too, was wearing a new outfit. He wore a light mint green tank top, green kung fu pants with a black belt as well as black kung fu shoes. He was currently warming up doing leg stretches. "We aren't just kids Kite. We're Pro Hunters."

Kite hummed. "So it seems." He was wearing a dark red long sleeved shirt, a matching hat and brown shoes along with black pants. A brown weapon holster was strapped to his right leg and his katana was sheathed on his left hip. Overall, he looked ready for battle.

As the boys finished stretching, he started speaking again. "I assume Bisky told you what this exam will entail of? I told her everything yesterday." The boys nodded. "Just to clarify, I will go over it once more. The objective is to either remove or destroy at least two of these targets that I have placed on my body." There were four different targets placed on Kite. One on the stomach, one on his back, one on his left shoulder, and the last on the back of his right leg. "But it I were you, I wouldn't just blindly try to go after the targets. That would be too predictable. Treat this like a real battle."

"You can use hand-to-hand combat, weapons, nen, and basically anything in this fight. But so can Kite, someone who has you guys beat in almost every area, if not all. This will definitely not be easy," Bisky chimed in. "But you'd better pass or when we start training again, I'll make it twenty times harder."

If the stakes weren't high enough before, they definitely were now. Not only would failing mean they couldn't be genin yet and Gon would have to put his search for Ging on hold for even longer, but Bisky's training would kill them before they even got the chance to retake the test!

"Don't worry Bisky..." Gon said. "We'll definitely pass!" He got into a ready stance, waiting for Kite to give the signal to start. Killua, too, got in a ready stance, now even more resolved to pass.

Hiruzen hummed. This seemed like it would be an interesting fight.

"Ready..." Kite started. The two boys tensed in anticipation. "...Go!"

In a blur of motion, Kite vanished from their sights.

He appeared behind them and knocked them to the ground.

Gon was the first to recover. He backflipped and dashed at Kite with a cocked back fist.

At the same time, Killua attempted to sweep Kite's legs.

Kite jumped over the sweep and dodged Gon's punch.

He twirled in midair and kicked both Gon and Killua away from him with minimal effort.

Gon was clutching at his face, where Kite had kicked him. There was blood trickling from his nose and a bruise forming on his cheek. Killua had managed to block the kick, but his arms were trembling from the force behind the attack.

"In case you haven't realized, boys..." Kite started. "Being a ninja will not be easy. With being a Hunter, you could somewhat avoid conflict. But as a ninja, one who is assigned missions and can't choose where they go or what they do, there is no avoiding it. Chances are you will end up fighting people stronger and more experienced than you are as well. If you can't even defend yourselves against this basic level of attack, give up. This isn't child's play."

Gon and Killua both looked at Kite with eyes full of determination, particularly Gon's eyes. They both stood up and wordlessly activated their ren.

Hiruzen hummed. "I've only seen Kite-kun do this a few times but... nen is still so beautiful to see," He said to Biscuit.

Biscuit said nothing, just nodded and smiled while watching her students prepare for battle. _"Get him boys!"_

The boys slowly started walking towards Kite. Gon wiped the blood from his mouth with one arm and Killua began pulling up his shirt sleeves.

"Weren't you listening, Kite?" Gon said.

"We're also Pros." Killua said.

After a moment of slowly walking towards Kite, they both dashed forward with renewed vigor, ready to face this test together.

"DON'T TREAT US LIKE KIDS!"

* * *

 **Chapter 8 End**


	9. Test x and x Test

Just in case anybody reading isn't familiar with certain nen techniques or has forgotten, I'll add the ones used in this chapter here. It's not necessary to know all of them but the information is there if you want it.

 _Zetsu_ : A technique for shutting off aura flow. This makes it harder for a person to be sensed and allows them to recover quickly from fatigue. Countered by _En_.

 _Ren_ : Drawing out a large amount of aura that boosts all physical capabilities including strength, speed, durability, etc. and can be used for other nen techniques.

 _Hatsu_ : This is the personal expression of one's Nen, also referred to as one's "Nen Ability."

 _Gyo_ : A technique that involves focusing a larger than normal portion of aura to one area of the body. This is mostly used on the eyes to see hidden aura. Ties directly into _Ryu_.

 _Ken_ : A combination of _Ten_ and _Ren_ that involves maintaining a large aura for defensive purposes, but is very draining.

 _Ryu_ : The distribution of aura in the midst of combat. During _Ken_ , _Gyo_ is used to continuously shift where aura is focused, making offensive and defensive adjustments.

 _Ko_ : Used to focus all aura into one specific area, leaving the rest of the body with no aura. A _Ko_ attack is many times stronger than a regular one.

 _Shu_ : Enshrouding an object with one's aura to enhance it and use it as an extension of themselves.

 _En_ : Spreading out one's aura to feel the shape and movement of everything within a certain range. Can be used to sense anyone using _Zetsu_.

Thank you to everyone who reads and everyone who leaves reviews! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter or Naruto.

* * *

 **Test x and x Test**

* * *

"DON'T TREAT US LIKE KIDS!"

Kite tried to sweep the incoming boys.

They sidestepped.

Gon came in with a nen-charged fist.

Killua readied a punch from behind.

Kite evaded both.

He backflipped away, saying nothing.

 _"Damn it,"_ Killua thought. Him and Gon once again went on the offensive.

Gon took the lead with a punch.

Killua tried an overhead kick.

Kite grabbed Killua's leg and swung him into Gon, sending them to the ground.

After a few moments, Kite spoke. "Words are just words." The boys slowly got up, their heads aching from the impact. "If you manage to land a hit, I'll start taking you more seriously. Prove yourselves."

Gon gritted his teeth. This reminded him of his weakness against Genthru. With clenched fists, he steeled himself. "You're on!"

He zoomed forward before darting to the side. He ran circles around Kite, kicking up dust as he went.

Kite didn't bother following him with his eyes, instead using _En_ to keep track of him. "Trying to confuse me? You're a bit too slow for that. Enhancer or not."

He sensed the exact moment Gon switched course and tried to kick him in the back.

He sidestepped, only to be bombarded with strike after strike from Gon.

Gon was relentless, furiously pounding and kicking at Kite's defense to no avail.

Killua, meanwhile, could only watch, waiting for an opening.

Gon slowed down slightly and Kite took the chance to throw out a punch.

Gon jumped away, giving Killua an opportunity. He threw shuriken at Kite and sprinted towards him.

"Ho? You know how to use ninja tools?" Kite asked, unsheathing his katana and deflecting the shuriken.

But Killua was already above him throwing a punch.

Kite sidestepped and Killua smirked. That's what he wanted.

Flicking his wrist, he swung his arm full speed and aimed his yo-yo at the target on Kite's back.

 _"This'll get him!"_

To Killua's shock, Kite caught the yo-yo with ease before grabbing his wrist and swinging him into a tree.

"Using a yo-yo as a weapon? And a weighted one at that... You seem to have an interesting fighting style, Killua," Kite commented. "I'm guessing you have a history of using weapons?"

Killua somehow managed to hear him through his ears ringing. "...I usually fight barehanded but..." he started, slowly getting up, "I learned to use throwing knives and throwing stars as part of my early training... The ones here are a bit heavier but I got used to them after some pointers from a friend." He looked at Kite. "I started using yo-yos back on Greed Island."

Kite hummed. "Interesting. Biscuit-san and I can help you improve with them. If you pass this test, that is."

"Oi! Kite!" Bisky shouted. Kite looked at her questioningly. "I know I shouldn't be interfering, but it would be a mistake to leave Gon alone for too long!"

Kite looked back at Gon, who was standing with his eyes closed, meditating. "Gathering aura, huh?" He appeared in front of Gon and sent him flying. "That's dangerous to try in a fight."

As Gon slowly sat up, he touched a hand to his face in pain and looked over at Bisky in frustration. She just grinned in response and the Hokage was shaking his head in exasperation.

 _"Still... I get why she did that..."_ He thought, looking up at Kite. _"Kite's taking it easy on us... but in a real fight, nobody's going to let me stand still and gather aura... I have to treat this as a real fight."_ He clenched his fist and stood up. He saw Killua also back on his feet and beginning to walk toward Kite.

"Come on boys." Kite said as they circled around him, looking for an opening. "The test is just getting started."

* * *

Gon and Killua laid on the ground of the training field dripping with sweat. They had only been fighting Kite for about 7 minutes but yet they were already getting tired. Things were looking bad. No matter how many attacks they threw his way, he was untouchable! Too fast, too strong, too skilled!

 _"They haven't done enough Ren training... so their endurance is extremely low in a battle like this."_ Bisky thought. _"Kite clearly designed this test with that in mind. He says the limit is 4 hours, but the goal of that is to distract them from their growing fatigue. This won't even take an hour at this rate, it'll more than likely be settled in less than 20 minutes."_ She looked at her sweating students. _"Whether they win or lose."_

Killua didn't expect the test to be this difficult. They were two kids fighting head-to-head with a fully trained Hunter/Ninja, even if defeating him wasn't exactly the objective. He was sure the genin from the academy wouldn't have a test as hard as this. So why them? Because they were foreigners?

 _"...since I didn't have chakra, I had to be very impressive to make up for it."_ That's what Kite had said a few weeks ago, so Killua guessed that they had to show the Hokage that they could still be capable ninja without chakra. Even though Kite and Bisky are capable, that doesn't necessarily mean they are too. In other words, they're being held to a much higher standard than the other genin.

He watched as Gon shakily got to his feet. Reluctantly, Killua got up too. Gon had a frustrated look on his face, and his aura seemed to reflect that frustration.

"What's the matter, boys? What happened to 'not treating you like kids?'" Kite asked, relaxing against a tree. "You're definitely fighting like kids so I can't see why I shouldn't."

Gon growled in response to that.

Killua knew Kite was just trying to rile them up, but he was actually making sense. They _were_ fighting like kids. All they were doing was rushing at him with attacks in an attempt to finally get an opening to destroy a target. They even tried to start throwing rocks at Kite like they did against Binolt, but the man shut down that strategy with a few sword swings, destroying the rocks. It would be an insult to compare Kite to Binolt.

"Kite..." Gon said. "...I wont settle for just two targets. I'll take all of them. Watch me!" He clenched his fists.

Killua sighed. _"Here we go."_

Kite laughed. "That's the spirit Gon. Seems like you're getting pretty fired up."

Gon narrowed his eyes and got in a ready stance. "Let's go, Killua!" He dashed forward and Killua was caught off guard.

 _"Damn it, Gon!"_ Killua thought before racing after him. _"This is pointless! We need a plan! Regular attacks won't work!"_ All they were doing was tiring themselves out.

Gon halted right before he reached Kite and darted around, making afterimages of himself.

 _"These misdirection tactics again?"_ Kite thought.

Gon appeared behind Kite and used _Ko_ to punch the ground hard enough to obscure Kite's vision with dust. He immediately masked his presence.

 _"Hmm... a better strategy."_ Kite thought. _"But still useless against me."_ As soon as he activated _En_ , he sensed something huge swinging towards him. _"Wha-"_

Killua came to a halt right outside the dust cloud, not knowing what else to do.

Suddenly, a large tree was swung through the dust, blowing it all away.

Kite had jumped into the air to avoid it, but he was quickly faced with another problem.

Gon was waiting above him, _Ko_ punch cocked back.

"Take this, Kite!" Gon yelled, launching his fist towards the target on the man's stomach.

Kite snatched Gon's wrist and harshly flung him to the ground before throwing a smoke bomb down after him.

Killua, now surrounded by smoke, knew he had to get to Gon. _"He's trying to separate us... we're both masking our presence but the moment we reveal ourselves he'll come to us... damn!"_

At that moment, he sensed slight killing intent right behind him.

 _ **"Jump forward."**_

Killua lunged out of the way of a katana blade and turned around in fear.

"Oh... nice reflexes," Kite commented, sheathing his sword. "I knew you would sense my killing intent and dodge. You're a Zoldyck, after all..."

Killua bowed his head. _"No..."_ He thought. _"All I did was follow Illumi's orders again."_ He gritted his teeth.

Kite started walking towards him and Killua tensed, flaring his aura so Gon would show up. He stood no chance alone, especially not with his brother talking in his head.

 _ **"If success isn't assured, run."**_

 _"Shut up!"_

"Oh I wouldn't try to signal Gon if I were you..." Kite said. "He took a particularly hard hit just now. He'll be down for about a minute or two. And, as you probably know, a lot can happen in a minute." Killua's eyes narrowed before he started walking slowly to the left, _Rhythm Echo_ afterimages moving in tune with him. "Ho... an assassination technique I presume."

Now behind Kite, with a direct view of both targets on Kite's back and leg, Killua reached a hand into his weapons holster and pulled out two kunai. With precision perfected by years of training, Killua threw the knives at both targets.

Of course, it didn't work. Kite dodged. Luckily, Killua had expected that. He was already waiting in the direction Kite was dodging, claws at the ready to take out a target. He thrusted his hand forward only for Kite to dodge, grab his arm, and flip him on his back, holding him in a submissive position.

"You're skilled, no doubt about it. I'm impressed," Kite praised. "But unfortunately, your _Zetsu_ is ineffective because when you move in to attack, you let a tiny bit of bloodlust leak out. Even if your intent wasn't to kill me, it seems hard for you to suppress. I'd work on that, or else you won't be able to use stealth tactics on anyone with worth while senses."

Killua gritted his teeth. Damn it. Even with how far he'd come, Illumi's teachings were still affecting him in a negative way. He didn't want to reveal his _Hatsu_ early and end up wasting it, but he had no choice now.

Suddenly, an aura-enhanced rock flew at Kite from the left and Gon came in with a kick from the right. Kite dodged both by jumping off Killua, who instantly took a stance next to Gon.

"Took you long enough, idiot!"

"Sorry Killua. Kite hits hard."

Kite hummed. "I'm impressed by your recovery speed Gon. That was only about thirty seconds, I expected you to be down for at least a minute." Gon took a stance and got ready to fight. "You kids should keep me entertained for a while."

"Gon," Killua whispered to him. "Let's retreat for a bit. This is going nowhere and we're wasting energy. I have a plan." He was using a hand to cover his lips so Kite couldn't read them. "Get behind me and when I say go, use _Zetsu_ and we'll run into the forest." Gon nodded.

Kite just stared at them. "Planning something? Smart." He started walking towards them. "But is it really smart to talk so nonchalantly with your enemy right in front of you?" Kite flared his aura and both Killua and Gon were taken aback. He was oozing killing intent that made them take a step back, even if they logically knew he wouldn't kill them. Gon, who had felt the full brunt of Hisoka's aura on many occasions, wasn't that afraid. But Killua was dripping with sweat, being reminded of Illumi again.

 _ **"If the enemy has intentions to kill you and you know you can't win, run."**_

And for once, Killua was on completely the same page as Illumi.

"Go!" Killua yelled before throwing a smoke bomb. Him and Gon instantly activated _Zetsu_ before running into the forest behind them and looking for a place to get brief safety from the man. They ran full speed, knowing that if Kite used _En_ they would be found instantly. They had to get out of his range.

Kite coughed a bit and instantly used _En_ to locate them. He sensed them running in the forest before they finally got out of his sensory range. He smirked. He could just use _En_ and walk in that direction until he found them, but he decided against it. Just to be more fair, he would let them have this opportunity to regroup. Kite especially wanted to give Killua a break because the boy had somehow managed to steal smoke bombs from his holster while he had him pinned.

 _"He's impressive... I should stay on my toes for whatever this plan of their's is..."_ Kite thought. He wanted them to pass, but he also knew he couldn't go easy on them. The Hokage was watching, and Kite wanted to make sure the boys displayed all their strength and potential.

* * *

"I'm bored."

"Me too..."

"...I'm really bored."

"...Me too."

"No, like, I'm really, really bored Sakura-chan! When is this guy going to show up?"

Sakura sighed. Naruto was restless, but she couldn't blame him. They had been waiting for Kakashi to show up for the past two hours, but he still wasn't there. Her and Naruto had even came in extra early that morning so they could set up some of the traps they had been planning for the test, which Sakura was pretty sure was going to involve the 3 of them competing against Kakashi to accomplish a certain objective. It was in line with what he said and implied. She just hoped she was right so she didn't waste any materials.

Ever since they finished preparing, all they had done was lay on the grass waiting while Sasuke sat against a tree a few feet away from them.

"I know, Naruto. But there isn't really much we can do right now," Sakura reasoned. "It's not like we can just go off to find him! We just have to wait." Training wouldn't really be a good idea either, lest they tire themselves out before the test even began.

Naruto sighed and sat up. "Hey... what if this is part of the test?"

Sakura had to think about that for a moment. That would've been a good point, if it wasn't for one detail. "I doubt it. He was late like this yesterday too, remember? I feel like this is just more of a bad habit of his."

 ** _"Or the bastard's purposely trying to piss us off..."_**

For once, Sakura agreed with her Inner self.

...She still pushed her to the back of her mind though.

Naruto groaned. "But he was like ten hours late yesterday!" Three hours, Sakura corrected mentally. "I can't wait that long! I'm itching to go right now!"

Sakura hummed before looking uncertainly at Sasuke and back to Naruto. "Well... maybe we can use this time to include Sasuke in our plans?"

Naruto looked over at Sasuke and scoffed. "Yeah right!" He said, a little too loudly for Sakura's liking. "Like hell that asshole will listen to reason..."

"Watch your mouth loser." Oh boy. Here we go, another argument.

"Say that again duckhair! I dare you!"

Sakura sighed and closed her eyes. She knew she should be worried about her own test, but she couldn't help but wonder how Gon and Killua were holding up with their's. She hoped they were having better luck than she was.

* * *

It had been ten minutes and the boys still had not revealed themselves. Kite didn't bother looking for them, instead just sat in the middle of the clearing and waited.

Hiruzen, who had been very quiet throughout the whole exchange, finally turned to Bisky. "Do you have any idea what those two are planning? They've been hiding for a while."

Biscuit nodded. "Well, for one thing, they're trying to regain as much aura as they can," She explained. "Right now, they're using _Zetsu_ , a technique for shutting off aura to conceal your presence. But it also lets you recover from fatigue and gain back lost aura much more quickly. Hence why Kite isn't looking for them. He's giving them a break."

Hiruzen hummed. "Much needed for them. But don't you think they have anything else planned?"

She smirked. "Of course they do," she said. "I have a few guesses. But the question is, do you want me to ruin the surprise?"

Hiruzen chuckled. "No, I suppose not. I'll wait to see what they have in store."

As if on cue... Gon walked out.

Alone.

"Oh? No Killua?" Kite asked, standing up from his sitting position. "Suspicious."

Gon said nothing. Instead, he activated his _Ren_ and raced at Kite, aura gathering in his fist.

 _"His aura control is quite sloppy... especially when he's tired.."_ Kite thought, dodging punch after kick with ease. _"It makes him easy to read. We'll have to work on that."_

Gon and Kite exchanged a flurry of attacks, Gon getting hit multiple times but not giving up.

 _"Killua is interesting because of his assassin training and fighting style... but Gon is a quick learner and has an extremely fast recovery speed."_ Slowly but surely, Gon was starting to react faster to Kite's attacks and defend appropriately. His _Ken_ was quite strong, and he was using _Ryu_ to adjust his aura defense according to Kite's attacks. Even though Kite was holding back, it was impressive.

Abruptly, Gon kicked off of Kite's arm and gained some distance before settling in a crouched stance.

"First comes _ROCK_..."

Kite, Bisky and Hiruzen all felt Gon's aura spike at the same time as an orange mass of Nen formed around his fist. He had a determined look on his face, staring intensely at Kite.

 _"I can tell that he's been doing more than just studying these past few weeks... he's keeping the nen a bit more compact..."_ Bisky thought, smiling. _"A minor, but noticeable improvement to his nen control."_

Hiruzen, on the other hand, was in shock. _"Preposterous! That's a LOT of power to be wielded by a 12 year old boy! The energy radiating from his fist feels more intense than a rasengan!"_

 _"...Is he serious?"_ Kite thought. As he felt Gon's Nen continue to intensify, he knew that attack would be impossible to defend against without taking at least some damage. Kite was a conjurer after all. He wasn't fit to be taking attacks from an Enhancer head on, even if he _did_ have more aura output than Gon.

Unfortunately for Gon though, he wouldn't need to defend against it.

"Jan... ken..." Kite appeared in front of the boy and kicked him across the face. The aura dispersed and Gon was sent flying.

"Didn't learn your lesson earlier, Gon?" Kite asked. "You don't have time in a real fight to spend charging up aura at your leisure. You'll be defeated instantly. No mercy." He watched as Gon pushed himself to his feet. "But I suppose the charge time, lack of aura defense and the chant all serve as conditions to generate more Nen and strengthen the attack... what is that hatsu called?"

Gon's eyes widened in surprise. _"Oops! I think I forgot to name my attack!"_ He rushed to answer. "Ja... janken!"

"Jajanken?" Kite asked. "I see... You combined 'Jajan' for 'Ta-dah' and 'Janken' for Rock-Paper-Scissors..." He hummed in approval. "While normally I'm not too big on attack names, I can appreciate the thought put into that."

"Uh..." Gon said. _"The first 'Ja' was a stutter..."_

"But regardless of the nice name..." Kite started, strolling towards Gon. "In a one on one fight, you shouldn't try that technique. Hatsu or not. You're charging at a slow rate, leaving your body with no aura defense. Basically defenseless." He stopped right in front on Gon. "We can work on it in the future to improve how you use it, but for now, I wouldn't try that again."

Gon narrowed his eyes. "I know that," he said. "I've already been working on ways to improve it..." He activated _Ren_. "...and I'll pass this test using it!" He looked at Kite with fire in his eyes. "If you're so worried, how about you try and stop me!"

Kite was taken aback by Gon's eyes. They were just so much like Ging's, yet so much more. Ging's eyes had a certain self-assuredness in them. But Gon... his eyes had more of a relentlessness, the determination to never give up. He was so entranced that he almost didn't notice Gon charging up another Jajanken.

"Jan... _ken_..."

Kite swung out a punch to stop him, but Gon disappeared. _"Wha-"_

He sensed the boy behind him.

Kite swung a kick back at Gon, who ducked and did a low kick.

Stunned by the kick, Kite wasn't able to react fast enough to the fist aimed at his face.

BOW! Kite stumbled back from the force of the punch.

"Jan... _ken_..."

Not wasting any time, Kite used his full speed and kicked Gon out of his stance.

Watching Gon slowly get up from the ground, Kite rubbed at his cheek. "...So you learned how to use your technique to fake people out... smart." He vaguely heard Biscuit on the sidelines bragging to the Hokage and sighed. "That's still wasting a lot of aura, though."

Gon panted and wiped blood from his lip. "Yeah but... I'm satisfied now..."

"For what? Landing a hit on my face?" Kite laughed. "You hit me in the face instead of going for the target on my stomach. Did you forget about the test?"

Gon shook his head. "No, I just wanted to land a good hit on you at least once. Now, back to the test."

 _"That whole exchange... was just so he could land a hit?"_ Kite had been thinking that Killua didn't come out because the boy was waiting for an opening, but now he wasn't so sure that was the reason. They could also be taking turns fighting him, giving the other one a chance to recover aura. _"And did he reveal his hatsu to begin with... with the intention of leading me into stopping it so he could fake me out?"_

"Congratulations, Gon," Kite praised. "You hit me... But you see, I told you that if one of you managed to hit me, I would start treating this more seriously." He started walking forward, aura intensifying. "The condition has been met."

 _"Ok... it's all or nothing!"_ Gon stomped his boot on the ground and got into his Jajanken stance. "Get ready! First comes _ROCK_!" Aura sparked to life around his fist.

Kite was careful this time. _"He looks like he's up to something... is their plan for me to go in to attack Gon and for Killua to attack once I leave an opening?"_ He studied Gon, trying to figure out how to proceed. _"He shouldn't be fast enough to react if I attack now... but this boy has surprised me before... and Killua is an unknown_ _factor as well..."_

"Jan... _ken_..."

Kite pulled out at kunai and flung it at Gon.

" **PAPER!** "

Gon launched a blast of aura at Kite, knocking away the kunai.

 _"Emission attack?"_ Kite thought. _"Enhancement is surely his primary category... and the nen is weakening the further it goes..."_ He unsheathed his katana, using _Shu_ to enhance it. _"His emission skills are weak."_

As soon as the emission blast came within range, Kite sliced it in half. But instead of just dispersing the aura, he was suddenly surrounded by smoke.

Kite was coughing, trying to figure out what Gon did. _"What?"_ He mentally replayed everything that happened and something clicked. _"Wait... He launched a smoke bomb in the emitted aura!"_

Before he had time to figure out more, he felt Killua's presence behind him.

" **Lightning Palm!** "

Kite felt the stun of electricity before he could even react.

 _"Electric transmutation?! At such a young age?!"_

"Gon! I got him!" Killua said. He knew the attack wasn't even close to enough to knock Kite out, but it could halt his movements for a bit.

He took the target on Kite's leg and reached for the one on his back.

Kite swung a kick back, forcing Killua to jump away.

"What?!" Killua thought. Kite was still being shocked, but seemed barely stunned by it. "Damn! He's resistant to electricity!"

"It'll take more than this to stop me, Killua. Your transmuted electricity is much weaker than the real thing." Kite said. "I won't even get any electric burns from this." He flared his aura, but he didn't move otherwise.

 _"Wait..."_ Killua thought. He dashed forward and zapped Kite with another lightning palm.

Kite grunted in pain and swung his arm out but the boy jumped back. Kite didn't pursue.

Killua narrowed his eyes. _"I knew it..."_ He started charging up more electricity. _"He's bluffing... all he can do is talk, move minimally and control his aura. Which means..."_

Killua leaped high above the smoke cloud, focusing all his electric nen to his finger tip.

" ** _THUNDERBOLT!_** "

He launched the electric nen down towards the stunned Kite. It hit the man right in the target on his shoulder, destroying it.

"Gon! Now!"

The smoke started shifting, spinning around to reveal Gon slowly walking forward with a charged up Jajanken.

"Jan... _ken_..."

 _"I'll have to block with Ko!"_ Kite thought, fighting to think rationally through the electric shock. _"He's definitely going to attack where the front target is!"_ He focused all his aura over his stomach. _"It won't cancel out all that power but, I can at least limit most of the damage to the target!"_

He felt a sudden impact in his back. Managing to turn his head, Kite saw three kunai embedded in the target on his back with wire attached.

The wires retracted and the target was pulled off Kite's back into the hands of a smirking Killua.

 _" **ROCK!** "_

Gon swung his fist full force into the target on the stunned Kite's stomach, instantly shattering it. Kite was sent flying across the clearing before he collided with a tree. Ears ringing, he vaguely heard footsteps run towards him and voices ask if he was okay. He nodded slowly. Thankfully, he had managed to take a step back before Gon's attack connected and used _Ko_ on his stomach to limit damage. But the power still knocked him away.

After a few moments, the electric stun effects finally wore off. When he opened his eyes, he saw a smirking Killua holding up two targets. "Guess we pass."

Kite sat up and looked at the targets. The one on his shoulder had been burned and the one on his stomach had shattered to pieces, the remains scattered on the ground many feet away. The other two in Killua's hands were relatively intact aside from the holes from where the knives had hit one of them. "Yes... you did." He looked at them thoughtfully. _"And not only that... but they managed to get all 4 instead of just the required 2..."_

He looked over at Gon, who was crouched on the ground a few feet away with his head bowed and panting. "Looks like you got the complete victory you wanted, Gon."

Gon slowly looked up at him with a tired expression before giving a sideways smile. "...Well, I couldn't have done it without Killua." Gon glanced at his friend. "Just like on Greed Island, you came up with another great plan."

Killua looked away in embarrassment. "Yeah, yeah. It wasn't all me. You were the one who fought Kite and set the whole thing up."

"I'm still not exactly sure how much of that was and wasn't your plan. Care to explain?" Kite said. He had an idea, but was still curious.

"Yes, I believe that would be in order," Hiruzen said, him and Bisky having walked over. "Well done boys. You sure know how to put on a show for an old man like me. I'm impressed."

Bisky winked at them and gave them a thumbs up.

Gon smiled and Killua began explaining. "Well... basically..."

* * *

"There's no way we can beat Kite in a straight up fight. 0% chance."

"I know."

"But Gon, I need you to fight Kite."

"...Huh? But you said..."

"I know. But it's gonna be like how you fought Genthru. Fighting him with the intention of luring him into a trap."

Gon narrowed his eyes slightly and looked away for a few moments before looking back. "But we don't have a trap set up for this... do we?"

"No, Gon... just listen." Killua sighed. "I'm sure you want to try and at least land a hit on him anyway, right?"

Gon nodded sheepishly. "Kinda..."

"Well this is your chance..." Killua took a deep breath. "Go out there and fight. You don't even have to think about a way to get the targets, just try your best to keep up with Kite. Try to keep his attention solely on you."

"Can I even do that?" Gon asked. "This test isn't just for me... it's for you too. The moment I go to fight alone it'll seem suspicious. He'll be waiting for you to show yourself."

"I know," Killua said. "But I have a feeling there's a way to get him to drop his guard slightly, especially when he's clearly not taking us that seriously... Remember that idea you told me about a few days ago?"

"Cancelling the charge for my hatsu?"

"Yeah... I want you to go out there and try to mix him up with that..."

"But I've never even tried it in battle before... it was just an idea..."

"Yeah, but if it works, it'll get Kite playing mind games and could throw him off. I need him to focus more on you so I can have an opening to stun him with electricity."

Gon's eyes lit up in understanding. "And then, after you stun him, we can easily steal the targets!"

"Well yes and no," Killua said. At Gon's confused look, he continued. "I can steal the targets, but you can't. You're not immune to electricity, stupid. If you touch Kite while he's being electrocuted, you'll be hurt too." He took a deep breath. "I'm most likely going to attack from behind, so I can take the target on his back and leg. Shoulder too if he's still stunned. By that time you should be able to at least destroy the one on his stomach with a Nen punch. I don't know how long and to what extent electricity will keep him stunned, so I don't think I'll be able to steal all four. And if electricity doesn't affect him at all, we're toast. The goal is at least two targets."

Gon looked like he wanted to argue that they would go for four, but then just nodded and smiled slightly. "I'm counting on you Killua."

Killua nodded. "One more thing." He reached into his pocket and gave Gon a smoke bomb. "Take this. I stole two from Kite when he had me on the ground. I used one already, so this is the last one." He placed it in Gon's hand. "It's going to be difficult to get close to Kite, even with you as a distraction. I need a moment where his senses will be thrown off, even if just for a moment. That's when I move." He looked Gon in the eye. "I'll let you decide how to use it. You do your best work alone after all."

Gon nodded but got a faraway look on his face. He said nothing for a few seconds, just staring.

"Gon? You okay?"

Gon snapped back to reality. "Yeah, sorry, I was just planning what I was going to do."

Killua wasn't convinced, but he knew now wasn't the time. "Okay. Got anything?"

"Um..." Gon paused for a few moments before looking at Killua. "...I'll think of something. But just know, when I say 'Get ready', that'll be the signal for you to start moving in."

Killua nodded. Gon was better at improvising than planning after all. "Ok..." He wanted to ask Gon what was really on his mind, but he smiled instead. "Then go out there and put on a show!"

* * *

Bisky hummed. "That really suits you, Gon." Gon looked at her in confusion. "Fake outs like that fit really well with your fighting style, even if it's not the typical enhancer thing to do. You already have considerable strength, speed, stamina, durability and decent combat skill, but your hatsu could make you unpredictable and a force to be reckoned with. The mind games aspect to it could help you defeat more powerful and experienced opponents. You'll have to train to further refine it, but shouldn't rely too much on it as of right now."

Gon nodded. "Osu!"

"And Killua." Killua turned to her. "You displayed good judgement, as well as skill, especially with weapons. Your plan and hatsu use was vital to getting the targets, and your timing was impeccable. Well done. I'm proud of you!"

"Osu." Killua felt Gon's eyes on him. "But a lot of the setup for it was all Gon."

"Of course, of course! You boys make such a good team," Bisky praised, pride sparkling in her eyes.

"Indeed. I'm rather excited to see how you both grow, Gon-kun, Killua-kun," Hiruzen said.

Both Gon and Killua nodded, but it was Killua who spoke. "It really wasn't all that amazing. Kite was taking it pretty easy on us, and we kinda took advantage of that."

"Nonsense..." Hiruzen waved a hand. "This was a test to measure your capacity. There was no reason for you to hold back. Kite holding back and getting taken off guard as a result is his fault."

"He's right. You should take pride in this. You even played the key role, Killua," Kite said. "If you hadn't been able to stun me, you two probably wouldn't have been able to take a target. You provided valuable and much needed support for Gon and showed your own individual skill. With that type of teamwork, you two will be able to defeat many foes." Killua blushed, scratching the back of his head at the praise. He wasn't used to it. "Believe it or not, the objective wasn't really for you two to take the targets to become genin. The Hokage already knew you were more than capable of being genin. This battle was to gauge what exact level you were on."

Hiruzen hummed. "Yes. You both have shown power that even many of our chunin can't match. Although you lack the combat skill, battle experience and some other finer details."

Killua's eyes narrowed. "Wait... so it wasn't even really a test? We could've not gotten a single target and still became genin?!" All three adults nodded. "What the hell?!" As Killua began raging on the adults, Gon looked away.

Killua noticed.

"Gon?" When Gon turned to look at him with an unreadable expression, Killua got concerned. "What's wrong?"

Gon regarded him silently for a moment before smiling slightly. "Ah, nothing. I was just thinking about all the different ways I can use my hatsu!" He said, focusing aura in his fist for emphasis. "I'll have to train a lot more to improve it!"

"Now, now Gon. You can focus on training later," Bisky chided. "For now, how about we go celebrate?"

"Yes, that would be appropriate for the occasion," Hiruzen said, turning to Kite. "Kite-kun, bring them to a nice restaurant. BBQs would be the perfect place." He took a quick drag from his pipe before exhaling. "I shall accompany you out of the training grounds, but I will have to make myself scarce once we get back to the main village. My assistant must be going crazy right about now."

Kite nodded. "Of course." He turned back to Gon and Killua. "You two did well today. I challenged the both of you to prove yourselves and that's exactly what you did." His eyes trained specifically on Gon. "You earned this."

After a moment, Gon smiled slightly and nodded. "Thanks, Kite."

The group began leaving the training grounds, with the adults engaging in conversation about what will be happening in the future. Of the five, there were two in the back of the group who were very quiet. The first one was lost in his own head. The second could only watch his friend in sadness.

* * *

 **Chapter 9 End**

This is my first time writing a real action/fight scene, so I hope it wasn't too bad. If it was, I hope the next chapter, which will be Team 7's test, is an improvement. Constructive criticism is welcomed. Anyways, thanks for reading!


	10. Team x or x Trash

I apologize for taking a while to update, but I've been getting increasingly busy recently. I'll try to update at least once a week.

But anyway, thank you to everyone who reads and everyone who leaves reviews! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter or Naruto.

* * *

 **Team x or x Trash**

* * *

"Good morning my sweet genin!"

"YOU'RE LATE!"

While Sakura and Naruto made their indignance known loudly, Sasuke sent a murderous glare Kakashi's way.

Kakashi eye-smiled at them and placed an alarm clock on one of the training logs in the middle of the field.

"I've set this alarm to go off at noon..." As he saw the questioning looks on his student's faces, he continued. "I have here..." he held up two bells, "...two small bells. Your test is to steal these from me before the time runs out. Anyone who fails, doesn't get any lunch. You'll be tied to one of these logs while I eat your lunch in front of you."

While Naruto looked betrayed and Sasuke was annoyed, Sakura was slightly relieved. _"So that's why he didn't want us to eat breakfast... it's a good thing my father forced me to at least eat an apple before I left..."_

"All you need is just one bell... for each of you," Kakashi said. "But since there are only two bells and three of you, one of you will definitely fail." An ominous breeze accompanied his words, chilling the three kids. "In other words, one of you will be sent back to the academy and will be looked on with disgrace. Who will it be, I wonder?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. _"Wait... huh? That doesn't sound right..."_ She already knew that it was common for genin to act in teams of three. Why would one of them be sent back? That would leave only two genin and a sensei... Would they get a replacement? What was going on? She looked over at Sasuke, who seemed to have forgotten about the three genin to a team rule and was instead trying to kill Kakashi with his eyes.

"You can use shuriken, kunai and any jutsu or technique you wish against me," Kakashi continued. "Attack with the intent to kill. If you don't, you won't get far against me."

Gon and Killua had helped Sakura practice her weapon aim a few times, so she wasn't as afraid to use lethal weapons against Kakashi. If two kids could dodge her weapons with ease, she had no doubt her sensei, who had years of experience, could dodge them too. Instead of worrying about the danger, her mind was trying to process exactly what was going on with this test.

"HA! You couldn't even dodge a simple classroom prank," Naruto taunted, chuckling. "You're gonna get yourself killed!"

"Only the weak speak loudly."

That little comment from Kakashi was enough to set Naruto off.

"Anyway, ignoring the fool, let's start on my signal," the man continued.

 _"There seems like there's some type of catch to this... Kakashi says the test is about stealing bells but is it really?... How the hell are we even going to get the bells from him? I figured we would have to compete against him in someway, but this is suggesting we work individually to steal something off a jounin…"_ Before Sakura could continue down this train of thought, she was snapped out of her mind by a pissed Naruto charging at Kakashi, kunai in hand. "Wait! Naruto!"

Quicker than they could see Kakashi move, he suddenly appeared behind Naruto and twisted the boy's arm back so his kunai was pointed at the back of his own head.

 _"Woah... I didn't even see him move!"_ She had never seen anyone move so fast. That just confirmed that this man was far more skilled than her team could handle. _"And we're supposed to steal bells from him? When he's expecting it?"_ Even with the tactics her and Naruto developed, she wasn't confident in their chances. She glanced over at Sasuke and he seemed surprised, but had a bit of an excited smirk too. _"Boys are weird!"_

"At least you struck to kill..." Kakashi said to Naruto, whose head he was patting lightly. "Seems you've begun to respect me. I think... I'm starting to like you three. Just a bit."

Naruto blushed at being patted on the head and had a happy smile on his face. Sakura was still nervous, now more than ever. Sasuke just smirked in anticipation.

Kakashi released Naruto, who walked back over to his teammates with a spring in his step. He gave Sakura a sheepish grin for his hasty actions. She just shook her head in exasperation. This boy would be a real handful.

"And now..." Kakashi started.

The three genin got on guard.

"Ready..."

They tensed.

"Set..."

Sakura channeled Chakra into her legs. There was no turning back.

"GO!"

* * *

"BBQ!"

Gon, Killua, Bisky, and Kite all watched as Choji ran screaming from all the way down the street and rushed into the restaurant with a crazed face.

They were silent for a moment, all squinting at the restaurant doors.

"...Well, saw that coming from a mile away," Killua commented.

"Literally," Bisky said. They saw the boy running from multiple blocks down.

Choji's team had just managed to catch up and arrived in front the shop, with Asuma looking slightly worried and Shikamaru and Ino looking exhausted.

"What... a drag..." Shikamaru panted. "Damn test... made him all tired... he gets hungry when he's tired..."

Ino scoffed, trying to suck in air. "Yeah? Well he... must be even more tired... after that long ass run!" She was furiously wiping at all the sweat dripping down her skin. It was clear she didn't like looking or feeling dirty.

Asuma just sighed. "Language Ino." He nodded at Kite and the kids (plus Bisky) before walking in the restaurant to see what was up with Choji. From what he heard about Choji's father as a kid, he had a feeling this student would be a lot to deal with.

Shikamaru looked over at Gon and Killua. "Figures we meet you here..." he said. "Passed your test?"

"Yeah... you?" Killua asked with a raised eyebrow. Shikamaru nodded. Killua noted from the corner of his eye that Ino was staring at him, but he ignored it.

Shikamaru's eyes lingered for a moment on Gon, who wasn't saying much and was hanging in the back of the group with his eyes trained on a nearby building. After a moment, Shikamaru sighed. "Well... let's go inside and see what type of hell Choji is unleashing in there." He gestured for Ino to follow him and he momentarily made eye contact with Killua, seeming to ask a wordless question.

Killua, who wasn't that good with social interaction yet, didn't quite understand what Shikamaru was trying to ask him. But, after they entered the restaurant, he glanced back at Gon and saw that the boy had a neutral expression and there was no optimistic aura about him like usual. Gon met his eyes and gave him a small smile before looking up at the food that was on the menu. Killua figured that Shikamaru wanted to know what was up with Gon.

If only Killua knew.

Before long, the two teams had gotten booths right next to each other and ordered their food, starting to engage in conversation. Asuma and Kite spoke to each other, apparently knowing each other from when Kite used to be in the village more often. Bisky spoke to Kite whenever he wasn't talking to Asuma and bickered wit Killua a bit, amusing those around them. Shikamaru and Ino tried to get Choji to slow down his eating but to no avail. Killua spoke to Bisky and Shikamaru, but for the most part he just listened and ignored a staring Ino.

The only one who seemed mostly detached from the others at the table was Gon. Despite the sad looks from Killua, concerned looks from Bisky, inquiring looks Shikamaru, and unreadable gazes from Kite, Gon barely said a word, just listening in on others' conversations and laughing lightly here and there. Even with the small smile he had plastered on his face, there was an invisible wall up around him.

And for all his strength and smarts, Killua didn't know how to break it.

* * *

"IT'S TIME FOR THE BATTLE TO BEGIN!"

"..."

"LET'S MAKE IT A REAL MATCH, WORTHY OF THE GREATEST WARRIORS!"

".."

"MAY THE BEST MAN WIN!"

"."

Kakashi could do nothing but blankly stare at the blonde boy.

Sasuke's eye twitched as he watched from atop a tree branch. _"That idiot..."_

Sakura, who was hiding in the bushes, had to stifle her laughter.

After silently staring for a while, Kakashi sighed. "You're a strange kid."

Naruto dashed towards Kakashi. "Only thing strange is your hairstyle!"

Kakashi watched him approach and reached his hand into his back pouch, making Naruto halt in his tracks. "Let me teach you..." Kakashi started, "The first skill you need to be a ninja. Lesson 1: Taijutsu."

Naruto, who flashed back to the fight with Mizuki, watched the man warily. _"Taijutsu? That's hand-to-hand combat... so why is he reaching for a weapon?"_

When Kakashi pulled out a book and started reading, Naruto was thrown for a loop. "What's wrong?" Kakashi asked, not even looking his way. "Weren't you going to come at me?"

"Why the hell are you reading a book at a time like this?" Naruto demanded.

"Well, for one thing, I've been dying to find out how the story ends," Kakashi replied. "Besides, it won't make any difference, considering who I'm up against."

Naruto face slowly twisted in outrage.

 _"A simple psychological tactic..."_ Sakura thought as she looked at Kakashi. _"Seems he's using mind games to test our ability to keep composure..."_

"I'M GONNA FLATTEN YOU!" Naruto raged, charging at Kakashi.

 _"Of course this idiot would fall for it..."_ Sasuke thought. Well, at least it was already clear to him who the first person to fail would be.

After Kakashi easily maneuvered out of the way of each of his attacks, Naruto finally lost sight of the man. "Huh..? Where'd he..."

"Your taijutsu style is terrible..." Kakashi's voice in his ear made Naruto tense, unable to turn around to confront the man. "You just randomly throw out formless, slow attacks like a brawler and constantly show your back to your opponent..." Naruto felt a wave of harmful intent that stopped him from moving. "You seem to have a death wish."

Sakura focused in on the hand seal Kakashi had formed. _"Tiger seal...? He's willing to go that far against students?"_ She wondered.

"Konohagakure Secret Jutsu!" Kakashi announced. "A Thousand Years of Death!" As soon as he hit Naruto with the powerful butt poke, the boy burst in a cloud of smoke. _"Huh...?"_ His thoughts were cut off when he felt a kunai imbedded in his leg. _"Oh...? One of them got me huh?"_ The kunai had struck right below where the bells were, so he figured they were probably aiming to cut the string. _"Whoever threw it timed it at the exact moment I went to attack the clone so I would be less focused on my surroundings. Clever._ _Seems I underestimated them too much and let my guard down._ _But..."_ He looked towards a specific area of trees, _"...now I know where they are."_

Sasuke was shocked. _"Did Sakura throw that?"_ He recalled telling her to improve her weapons use a few weeks ago, but he didn't expect her to actually be able to hit Kakashi, much less this early in the test. Maybe their sensei just wasn't that good? He scrutinized the man with narrowed eyes.

Meanwhile, Sakura was thinking something completely different. _"Nice, Naruto!"_ She quickly got up and started running in the direction that the kunai was thrown from. _"Now might be our chance!"_

* * *

 _"Wow... You can make solid clones?"_

 _"Yeah! Amazing huh?" Naruto said cheekily as Sakura inspected one of his clones. They had just left Ichiraku Ramen, and Sakura had brought them to the training ground that she usually went to with Gon and Killua. "I can make up to about 100 at once, but I can't maintain them for a long time." He paused, before continuing. "It makes me realllllly tired after a little while too... I even passed out from it."_

 _Sakura was shocked at the large number, but hummed in contemplation. "100 is the max clones you can create and maintain at the same time or you can only make 100 clones before you run out of chakra?" It was either he passed out from chakra depletion or there was some type of other drawback from the jutsu. She wondered where he even learned something like this._

 _Naruto put his finger on his chin and squinted in thought. "Well, I'm pretty sure I have chakra for way more than 100 clones, but I'm only able to have 100 at once. If I try to make anymore, my head will probably explode..." He winced. Sakura hoped the boy was just exaggerating. "Even when I was practicing with making just a few, like around 20 or 30, I got a headache. A really bad headache! The more I make the worse the headache gets."_

 _Sakura's eye twitched. 'Just a few' he says? How much energy did this boy even have? She studied him for a moment... "Yeah... I don't think this is a chakra depletion problem..." She thought, nodding to herself. "How long did it take for you to pass out after you summoned the clones?"_

 _"Uh..." Naruto said, humming and squinting hard at a nearby tree. "Well I only passed out when I made 100 at once, and I had them for like a minute before I lost my hold on them and they disappeared. About a minute or two after that, I passed out."_

 _"Chakra depletion can cause headache and mental fatigue... but if it was a chakra depletion problem... it wouldn't have a delayed effect like that. He would've passed out while he was still trying to maintain the clones." Sakura thought, coming to a conclusion. "Ok, so it seems to be a drawback of the jutsu. Summoning a lot of clones and maintaining them puts strain on your mind... and it seems like you get hit with backlashes even after the clones go away." Naruto nodded, following what she was saying. "Wait... mental strain... why would there be mental strain? Unless..." She looked at Naruto. "Do your clones work with your direct control?"_

 _Naruto looked at her incredulously. "No way I could control 100 clones at once!" He said. "They think like me, act like me and all that, so they end up doing what I would do. But that's all. I can tell them what to do, but I can't make them do anything."_

 _"Can you speak to them telepathically?"_

 _"Tele-what?"_

 _"Can you speak to them from your mind?" Sakura asked with patience._

 _"Oh... nah. I can only talk to them out loud. But..." He paused in thought. "The day after I passed out, I woke up remembering the same things I was doing, but in different ways. Like... uh... I don't know how to explain it." He huffed in annoyance, and sat down on the ground cross-legged. Sakura sat down with him, waiting patiently for him to explain. "It's like, I saw the same things from different... angles? The memories are still kinda hazy so I can't look into them too much but... I think..."_

 _"They're your clone's memories," Sakura finished. Naruto nodded, seeming satisfied with that conclusion. "I don't know if that's one of the purposes of the jutsu or a side-effect, but it seems like you'll have to get used to it. That's most likely what's causing all the mental strain and backlash. Your mind probably can't handle getting the memories of so many clones." This was all very interesting to Sakura. "You probably have to dispel the clone to get the memory... wait! Can your clones make their own clones?"_

 _Naruto looked over at his clone, who had been very silent, and said. "Well, can you?"_

 _The clone made the hand seal for the jutsu. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A clone popped into existence._

 _"Did you lose any chakra from that Naruto?" Sakura asked._

 _"Uh... I don't think so."_

 _"I did though," The first clone said. "And I felt a slight weight drop on my head. That's what Naruto feels whenever he makes clones." He paused, before adding. "But I can't make that many. I'm just a clone, so I don't have the chakra to make a lot."_

 _Sakura's eyes lit up. "This is amazing Naruto!" Naruto and his clones all looked stunned. "Your clones can make clones and that won't cause immediate backlash on you! And you'll probably still get all of those memories! Do you realize what this means?" Naruto looked at her in confusion. "Remember, pretend we're planning a prank. Gathering information will important."_

 _Naruto thought for a minute before he snapped his fingers and grinned. "Oh! So you want me to send clones around the training field, then get them to make another clone before they release themselves?" That way, Naruto would get the memories of the first clone, but there would still be a second clone there to keep watching for anything that may happen._

 _"Exactly!" Sakura said. "This jutsu could be the key to helping us pass the exam!" Whatever the exam was. "It can be used so many ways! Who knew you had such an amazing technique under your belt?"_

 _Naruto blushed and scratched his cheek. "Thanks, Sakura-chan..." He stood up. "But anyway, I've got some ideas."_

* * *

Sakura made it to the approximate location of where the clone threw the kunai from. There was a kunai left on the ground, which was supposed to be a sign for her to know that it was still around here hiding somewhere.

"Clone!" she called out, whisper-shouting. When she saw him peek his head out from a tree high above, she continued. "Naruto needs to go find Sasuke, I doubt we'll be able to steal the bells from sensei without his help. We all need to work together. Make another clone and dispel yourself so Naruto can get the message." The clone nodded and quickly made another clone before poofing out of existence.

So, she picked up the kunai and hid in the bushes, going back to watching Kakashi. She was surprised he didn't take the bait and start coming in this direction to look for the person who threw the kunai. She felt Inner prodding in her mind, but she pushed her down. She didn't have time to deal with her right now.

After a bit of watching him sitting in the middle of the field reading, she got anxious. _"He's not going to come?"_ Inner kept prodding, and she kept pushing her down. _"This could buy us some time for Naruto or one of his clones to find Sasuke, but still... Is he trying to draw us out?"_ Inner prodded some more, and Sakura had to put more focus into ignoring her. _"Maybe this is a good thing. He's already distracting himself by reading after all..."_

After a while, Inner finally broke through. **"IT'S A GENJUTSU DUMBASS!"**

 _"What?"_ Sakura urgently formed a hand seal. "Release!"

Kakashi's form in the middle of the clearing phased out of existence, and Sakura heard clapping coming from behind her.

She whipped around and tossed a kunai, but Kakashi dodged easily.

"How rude," he said, taking out his book again. "Here I am trying to teach you Shinobi Lesson 2: Genjutsu, and you try to kill me. Where are your manners Sakura-chan?" Sakura narrowed her eyes at him and got in a ready stance with a kunai. "Nice job hitting me with that kunai before though. You waited for the perfect moment, and erased all traces of your attack, by timing it with my attack towards Naruto's clone."

Sakura said nothing, but in her head, she was pleased to know that Kakashi thought she was the one who threw the kunai. It would make it easier to keep his attention on her, buying time for Naruto to find Sasuke. She doubted just her and Naruto would be able to steal the bells from Kakashi. She was pretty sure the man would have no problem taking out an army of clones.

"Nice job dispelling the genjutsu too... even if it took you a while to notice. Seems you have good chakra control and intelligence, just like the academy reports said about you."

Sakura still said nothing, only watching Kakashi carefully. She just hoped he had arrived after she spoke to the clone.

Kakashi turned a page in his book. "Not much of a talker?"

Sakura tightened her hold on her kunai. "We're not exactly here for idle chat sensei..."

Kakashi sighed and closed the book, placing it back in his pouch. "Shame. I like idle chat." He started walking towards Sakura slowly. "Oh well."

The tension was built the closer Kakashi got, and Sakura was faced with the reality that she was up alone against a jounin. Even if he wasn't trying to seriously hurt her.

 _"Wait! I'm not alone!"_ Naruto's clone was still hiding somewhere, watching. It seems Kakashi doesn't know it's there either. If she starts losing too much, the clone can help her escape. And if Kakashi changes targets, it can dispel itself to alert Naruto.

 _"This..."_ Sakura thought, reaching into her weapon holster. _"...is all I can do right now!"_ She threw shuriken at Kakashi, knowing they wouldn't hit.

Kakashi dodged to the left, before his eye spotted wire attached to the shuriken.

 _"Ninja wire?"_

Sakura swung the shuriken at him and Kakashi was forced to jump over them.

She kept swinging the shuriken at Kakashi, forcing him to jump around to dodge.

Sakura smirked right as Kakashi landed and his foot hit a tripwire.

Kakashi had no choice but to jump high up to dodge the paint balls that were launched at him from multiple directions, putting him in position for the next trap.

Sakura cut a wire behind her, and a large tree branch swung from behind Kakashi, knocking him out of the air.

Before Sakura could try to grab the bells, Kakashi disappeared in smoke. _"A clone?"_

"Nice traps." Sakura tensed and swung her kunai behind her, but Kakashi was too fast. "You made those yourself?"

She got into a fighting stance. "It was my idea to set the traps this morning and the wires were mine. But Naruto helped me set them up. It's a skill of his." She was good at making academy level traps and had been practicing with more intricate ones after her trip to the weapons shop with Sasuke, but the way Naruto made traps was unorthodox. It was unlike anything she had seen in the academy, but very creative. She would have to learn more from him later on.

Kakashi's eye lit up slightly in interest. "Oh? You two took the time before I got here to set up these traps? Together?" He asked, in a voice that sounded delighted. "Way to take initiative!" He eye smiled at her and Sakura almost laughed. This man, despite his skill, was getting hard to take serious. "But what will you do now? Any more tricks up your sleeves?"

 _"Now would be really good timing to jump in and help, clone!"_ She thought. After a moment, nothing happened. " _So much for that,"_ She made up her mind. "Kakashi-sensei..." She said, going through hand seals. "A good ninja should always have a trick up their sleeve." She made two clones.

"Clone jutsu? That's a pretty basic trick," He commented. "These aren't even real clones like with Naruto, just illusions."

Her and her clones started walking in a circle around Kakashi. Sakura slowly reached into her weapon holster and pulled out a kunai.

"We can't all be like Naruto," Sakura said. "But that doesn't mean I can't do anything!"

In one quick motion, she jumped in the air and flung the kunai at Kakashi, who sidestepped easily.

As soon as the kunai hit the ground, the small smoke bomb that was attached activated, obscuring Kakashi's view.

He saw Sakura from the corner of his eye trying to grab a bell and instinctively reacted, jumping out of her range and out of the smoke cloud.

When he no longer felt her presence in the clearing, he realized her strategy at once.

 _"Smart..."_ He thought. _"She used smoke and sent her clones in to occupy me for a second to give herself a diversion to escape."_

Kakashi was impressed. From the reports he read about this girl, she was booksmart with great chakra control but had questionable motivation to be a ninja and seemed to only care about boys and her looks. But from what he's personally assessed of her, those last two points didn't seem to be the case (at least not during test). She displayed patience, good observation skills, preparation, level-headedness in the face of a threat, and just a lot of potential overall.

 _"I'll let her go for now..."_ Kakashi thought. _"So far, she seems promising... "_

He wondered why the person in the trees which had been there the whole time, didn't make a move to help Sakura. When the presence suddenly disappeared, he had his answer. _"Naruto's clone... He probably has clones around and is using the shared memories aspect for reconnaissance."_

Naruto, too, showed a lot of promise. He had heard about how the boy had managed to learn the shadow clone jutsu in one night and beat Mizuki with it. Despite knowing that Mizuki wasn't at full strength and was caught of guard, Kakashi had been impressed. Now, he was even more impressed by the tactics the boy displayed with his shadow clones, especially when he just learned to use the jutsu two days ago. Not to mention it seemed like him and Sakura had developed a friendship, or at least a healthy teammate bond.

 _"Those two haven't quite passed... but they're close... I won't go after them..."_ He jumped into the trees. _"Instead, there's someone else I need to pay a visit..."_

* * *

"Damn it, bastard! Why are you always so difficult?"

"I already told you I have no intention of working with you."

Naruto gritted his teeth. "Sakura-chan could be facing Kakashi-sensei alone right now!" Meanwhile, they were in the middle of a clearing, arguing for no reason. They weren't even keeping their voices down.

"And?" Sasuke asked. He looked at Naruto with indifference. "You're acting like Kakashi means to kill us. This is a test. If she doesn't do well, she'll fail, and that'll be that."

Naruto's fists were gripped tightly as he remembered the conversation him and Sakura had yesterday.

 _"I know it's a pain, but shouldn't we try to get Sasuke-bastard to help?" Naruto had asked back at Ichiraku Ramen._

 _Sakura's face got slightly downcast as she played with her food. "...I don't think he'll even listen to us."_

 _"I'll make him listen... I'll take that stick straight out of his ass!" Sakura slowly raised an eyebrow at him and he flushed in embarrassment. "...Or maybe you could try again? I mean, he seems to like you way more than me anyway..."_

 _Sakura shook her head with a sad smile. "No... I don't think he does..."_

Naruto marched up to Sasuke. "Listen you asshole... I don't know what your issue is, but Sakura sees something in you! If it were up to me, I wouldn't even try to deal with you!" He paused when Sasuke turned his back on him. He took a deep breath before continuing on in determination. "But we're supposed to be a team! Even if there's the threat of one of us being sent back, I'm sure we can prove sensei wrong! If we show him that the three of us can work together, he might change his mind! Think about it! The three of us could be unstoppable, the best genin squad there is!" Naruto put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "So work with us Sasuke. Please."

There was a long pause. Long enough that Naruto actually thought there was hope.

There wasn't.

Sasuke shrugged Naruto's hand off his shoulder and said nothing. But the silence spoke volumes.

Naruto glared at the back of his head. "Ok... I see how it is..." he turned his back on Sasuke. "When me and Sakura pass and you're sent back to the academy, I don't wanna hear shit from you."

Sasuke said nothing, even as Naruto marched away to go look for Sakura. He was too lost in thought.

"Wow. That was quite cold of you Sasuke."

Sasuke had felt when the man walked up behind him, so he wasn't surprised by his voice.

"You didn't have to blow him off like that," Kakashi commented, leaning on a tree and reading his book. "Why didn't you just work with them?"

"...I'm different from them." Sasuke didn't even turn to face Kakashi as he spoke.

Kakashi hummed. "Well, I wouldn't know about that. Then again, maybe you _are_ different them. After all, those two have actually done well so far." Sasuke flinched. "In terms who I predict will fail, you're the one that seems the most likely."

Sasuke turned to face him with a glare. "Lies. You read academy reports right? You should know I'm far beyond those two and everyone else in the academy. They aren't on my level."

"Perhaps." Kakashi started walking over to him. "But you still lack something. Something crucial. But yet, the two you're 'far beyond' seem to have it. Ironic, isn't it?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What could those two have that I lack? They're both clanless, one of them is an idiot with no skill, and the other is just a book-smart fangirl."

That's how it had been for years. Sasuke didn't know when had they upgraded to anything else. But lately, he had seen signs of them beginning to change, which kind of threw him off. That white-haired boy had even said that Naruto managed to defeat Mizuki, even though Sasuke didn't believe it. Kakashi basically saying that they're better than him was downright disrespectful in Sasuke's eyes. "I'm an Uchiha... and I've been training for years now while those two barely take shinobi life seriously. Get real."

"Ah... right." Kakashi looked up at him from his book. "One of Konoha's most elite clans, the Uchiha." Sasuke glared at him, a nerve being touched. "How about... you show me what the Uchiha has to offer then."

* * *

"Naruto!"

Naruto halted his run through the forest and looked above him to see Sakura on a tree branch waving at him.

He smiled. "Sakura-chan! I've been looking for you!"

Sakura smiled back and jumped down to land in front of him. She looked behind him and her smile dimmed slightly. "No Sasuke, huh?"

"Nah," Naruto sighed, "He won't listen no matter what I say. It's like talking to a damn brick wall..." He huffed.

She sighed. "Yeah... I figured it would be like that..."

Naruto knew sadness when he saw it. "Sakura-chan... you okay?"

She snapped out of her thoughts and nodded. "Yeah, yeah... I just... have to accept the fact that this team probably won't work..."

He looked at her closely. "...You wish you were on a team with Gon and Killua don't you?"

Slowly, Sakura took a deep breath. "Sorry Naruto... it's nothing against you... because you're honestly not what everyone made you out to be—including me." She smiled at him, making Naruto blush slightly and his chest warm. "I thought you were just some troublemaker who liked messing with people... but I was wrong. I should've tried to understand you better." Her smiled dimmed again. "But... it's clear that Sasuke-kun doesn't really like us, and there's just a lot of tension. If I was with Gon and Killua… I'd already be comfortable, you know?"

Naruto put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't let Sasuke make you uncomfortable! He doesn't own this team! If he doesn't wanna work with us, so be it!" He told her. "Remember yesterday? How we had fun without Sasuke? How we came up with ideas and everything without him? How we set traps today without him?" Sakura nodded slowly. "Kakashi said he was sending one of us back to the academy. If Sasuke gets sent back, we'll be fine! I promise!"

Sakura nodded at him but looked away. _"But I don't want him to get sent back..."_ She shook those thoughts out of her head and turned back to the boy with renewed determination. "Okay. But let's try a little bit more to see if this team can work." She rubbed her chin in thought, a habit she picked up from Killua. "Technically, Sasuke is the only one of us that Kakashi hasn't confronted individually yet. I thought it was strange that he didn't follow me when I ran, but I figured he was still searching for me. But now..."

Naruto's eyes widened in realization. "You think he went for Sasuke after I left?"

"Most likely. And I don't think Sasuke is the type to try and run away, even if he knows he's outclassed." She knew Sasuke was skilled, but they were up against a jounin. If the man's experience alone wasn't enough of a threat, he also casually displayed a lot of skill in the brief time since the test began. "If that's the case, we'll have to go with Tactic S."

Naruto made a face. "You know the he's gonna be pissed right?"

Sakura nodded and started walking in the direction Naruto came from. "I know. But what choice do we have? It's already been about an hour since we started the test. We've barely gotten anything done and there's only one hour left." She paused in her tracks. "One hour left..."

"Sakura?" Naruto asked in confusion.

Sakura looked at him with a contemplative look on her face. "Naruto... why would we only have two hours to steal bells from a jounin?"

Naruto crossed his arms and thought hard. "Well... I guess to make it difficult? To see how well we do when we're under pressure?"

She shook her head. "No... I don't think that's it..." She looked away. "Ever since we found out what the test was, I felt something was wrong. It just felt too unfair. And since Kakashi-sensei was three hours late, I didn't realize how little time we actually had..." She looked back at Naruto. "Three genin to a squad. Why is that? Because missions are more successful when done by a team, which makes teamwork important for ninja. This is about teamwork Naruto!" Naruto's eyes lit up in understanding. "Everything is practically pointing towards Kakashi-sensei wanting us to work together against him. The two bells are just a diversion to split us up. I don't think he even cares much if we get the bells. He even seemed pleased when he found out you helped me set up the traps..."

Naruto gazed at her in admiration. "Wow... you're so smart Sakura-chan! No wonder you always got the highest grades!" Sakura blushed, but waved a hand at him as if to say 'im not that special.' Naruto paused and his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. "The only problem is that our team includes the number one bastard."

Sakura had to nod in agreement, but she was determined for things to work out okay. "Which is why we're going with Tactic S." She started walking away with Naruto hot on your trails. "After that, you distract Kakashi-sensei and I'll try one more time to convince Sasuke. Then, we can switch to Tactic I."

Naruto groaned. "Let's just hope he doesn't mess everything up."

Once again, Sakura had to agree.

* * *

Meanwhile, back with Kakashi and Sasuke, Kakashi was looking down at a panting Sasuke. "I admit it. You're more skilled than the others. The only one who managed to touch the bell too."

Sasuke smirked. He started making hand signs for a jutsu when suddenly, both males heard a shout.

"WAIT!"

Kakashi and Sasuke turned their heads to see a panting Sakura, looking at them in distress.

"Oh? What for?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke glared at her in annoyance but had a hint of confusion in his expression.

"Stop fighting," Sakura said. She turned to Kakashi. "Look, Sensei, this test is unfair! We don't have much time left... can't we get more time? At least a break?" She pointed at Sasuke. "Sasuke's been fighting you head on and he's tired too. Can't we eat?"

Kakashi sighed and pulled out his book again. "No, that would defeat the purpose of the test. How you overcome the obstacles is all on you."

"I'm not tired, and I don't need any break," Sasuke said, focusing his eyes back on Kakashi. "If you and the idiot are so tired, you can just take a seat and let me be the only one who passes this test."

Sakura started walking closer to Kakashi. "Pllleeease sensei? We're reallllly hungry!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. _"She never ignores me like that..."_

Kakashi fixed his single eye on her in disinterest. "You can eat after the test. If you're not tied to a log, that is. So if I were you I would try to make a better impression."

Sakura stared blankly for a bit before smirking. "Better than this?"

Kakashi just barely registered the sound of a paper bomb burning before his body reacted.

Sakura exploded and Kakashi leaped away in the nick of time.

Sasuke took a step back, looking on in shock and confusion.

Before Kakashi could get his bearings, several dozens of Naruto clones launched at him from the forest behind him.

"HA!"

"YOU FELL FOR IT!"

"THE OLD SWITCHEROO!"

"WAS THAT GOOD SENSEI?!"

"WERE YOU IMPRESSED?!"

"DID YA LIKE IT?!"

Kakashi, while skillfully dodging and dispelling over forty hyperactive shadow clones, managed to utter out... "It was decent."

In all honesty, he was impressed. Whether Naruto knew it or not, he had modified his chakra signature so it would feel like Sakura's, a trait of an advanced transformation jutsu. Once again, he underestimated the genin and let his guard down too much.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was tense and jerked in surprise when someone tapped on his shoulder. He almost hit the person until he saw who it was. "Sakura...? But you..."

"Naruto clone," she explained. "One of his shadow clones transformed into me. He hid a paper bomb on it to throw Kakashi off focus."

The way she had to explain a basic strategy that the two of them used not only annoyed Sasuke, but just downright pissed him off. His confusion quickly vanished and he looked back at the fight with a glare. "Whatever. No one asked for your help."

Sakura narrowed her eyes at his back. This was starting to annoy her. "Look, Sasuke. You aren't the only one taking this exam. Me and Naruto want to pass too. And since you want to pass so bad, you should know that the main thing Kakashi is looking at is teamwork! Not skill!"

Sasuke said nothing for a moment, but then looked back at her in slight interest. "How do you know?"

Sakura was pleased he was actually willing to listen. "Three genin are put to a squad for a reason. To work together as a team." Sasuke scoffed, but Sakura continued on. "Even if that's not what you want to hear, it's the truth. Teamwork is what gets missions done, teamwork is what's helped win wars, teamwork is what keeps the village as a whole together. Cooperation is key. Nobody can do everything on their own."

"But yet that man did everything by himself..." Sasuke muttered, a bitter tone in his voice. Sakura guessed that he probably didn't mean to say that out loud, so she focused back on topic.

"Look! We're genin, but yet we're expected to steal bells from an experienced jounin in only two hours... doesn't that seem funny? Plus, if genin are usually three to a team, why would he send back one? The two bells is just to trick us into turning against each other. I'm telling you Sasuke, this has to be what it is!"

Sasuke saw the truth in her logic, and he was annoyed at himself for not putting it all together. He remembered what Kakashi had said to him.

 _"But you still lack something. Something crucial. But yet, the two you're 'far beyond' have it."_

 _"Damn it,"_ Sasuke thought. He watched as Naruto had to keep creating more clones to occupy Kakashi. A few more explosions went off, probably from more explosive tags. He turned back to Sakura and swallowed his pride for the time being. "Do you have a plan?"

Sakura didn't expect things to go nearly as well, but smiled in happiness and nodded, telling him what to do.

Back with Naruto, the boy was starting to feel the toll of his clones weigh heavily on his mind. He made about sixty so far, and only ten were left.

"Is this strategy all you had Naruto?" Kakashi asked, looking around at the eleven Narutos that surrounded him. He purposely ignored Sakura and Sasuke talking in the distance, hoping the three would launch a plan together. "You should know that even with clones, you're still no match for me in a head on fight."

Naruto grinned. "I know, don't worry. We have things in store for you." Kakashi's eye perked up slightly at 'we.' "It might seem pointless right now, but I'll make you proud by the end of this sensei. Believe it!"

"By the end of this? Naruto... I'm already quite proud of you. You in particular," Kakashi said, no hint of a lie in his tone.

Naruto had to hold back the happy smile and push down the warm feeling in his chest from the acknowledgement and focus on his objective. "You'll be even more proud then!"

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted. All the clones and Kakashi all looked in her direction, Sasuke no longer anywhere to be found. "Ichiraku!"

 _"That's the codeword!"_ All the Naruto's thought.

Kakashi just hummed as he saw one of the Narutos pulling out something from his back pouch.

The same Naruto, probably the real one, swung his arm forward and threw a smoke bomb. "Take this!"

Kakashi stood completely still in the smoke, expecting some type of team attack but nothing came.

Then, he felt it.

The heat coming from directly above him.

 _"Fire style!"_ He thought.

He launched himself out of the range of the attack and smoke, bringing him into an open clearing surrounded by multiple Narutos, Sasukes, and Sakuras.

"How do you like me and Sakura's Ichiraku formation?" They all asked with smirks. "Pretty neat huh?"

Kakashi eye smiled. "Delightful." He would have to try his hardest to hold back his attacks, lest he actually kill one of his real students.

As they all dived at him, he found himself fighting off multiple assailants.

After about a minute, with four attackers left, he sensed something coming at him from his left and instinctively jumped back.

He saw a demon wind shuriken fly by, and turned his head to see Sasuke, possibly the real one, with his arm extended.

Before he could go after Sasuke, he sensed someone try to come up behind him.

He reacted, kicking out a leg to knock them back, but was surprised when Sakura managed to take the hit and grab his leg.

"Wha—"

As soon as he began to pull his leg back, she breezed through handsigns. Just as he escaped and did a backflip, he saw a plume of smoke where Sakura previously was, but now there was Sasuke left in her place.

 _"Sasuke transformed into her...?"_ He thought. _"No but those hand signs were—!"_

Momentarily baffled by what just happened, Kakashi wasn't able to react to the kunai swipe that cut the strings on the bells.

The bells dropped on the floor and Kakashi swung a powerful kick back at the offender, not having the presence of mind to hold back his strength enough. When he saw Sakura, the real Sakura, fly back and then clutch her stomach in pain, he realized what happened and instantly felt guilty.

" _Sasuke threw a demon wind shuriken to get me to jump back where Sakura was waiting for me. When she grabbed my leg, she used the substitution to switch places with Sasuke, so that when I jumped away she would be right behind me to get a chance at the bells..."_

So focused on processing, he was taken off guard when Sakura shouted hoarsely, "Sasuke! Now!"

Kakashi turned back and saw Sasuke with his hands resting in the Tiger seal. **"Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!"**

The jounin leaped into the air, straight over where the stream of fire was aimed, and landed behind Sasuke.

He sweeped the boys legs out from under him, and put him in a chokehold. "Nice job burning the bells. Now none of you pass."

Sasuke smirked. "Oh yeah?"

Kakashi looked up and saw Sakura holding up a bell and smiling, with a fatigued but happy looking Naruto walking out of the forest holding the other bell.

 _"Naruto probably had two clones switch places with one bell each, so Sakura and Naruto would be able to get them without the bells being burned by the fire… Naruto's clones are proving to be very useful in their plans and diversions. Even if he won't always be able to rely on them."_ He thought.

"Looks like we pass sensei," Sakura said, proud smile on her face. "We all worked together to get the bells. After all, teamwork was the most important factor, right?"

Kakashi said nothing for a while before he smiled at her. "I should've known a smart girl like you would figure it out. But yes, you're correct. You pass..." He then looked down at Sasuke. "At least you and Naruto do."

Sasuke glared up at him while both Naruto and Sakura looked shocked.

"What the hell do you mean..." Sasuke growled. "I helped out too! They only got the bells because of me!"

The man hummed in response. "Well, that's true... But the thing is, these two have been trying to get you to work with them and you've been purposely denying to cooperate, even insulting them. I imagine you only helped because Sakura told you that was the point of the test, correct?" He looked at Sakura for confirmation and the girl avoided his eyes, only further confirming his suspicions. He looked down at Sasuke with a serious gleam in his eye. "That's not how a team should operate. That's not how _my_ team will operate."

"Kakashi-sensei it's fine, right?" Sakura asked. "I mean, the fact is Sasuke-kun _did_ work with us and he is the reason we were able to get the bells. He even added on to the original plan. If he showed that he can work with us, doesn't that mean he can improve his cooperation? He just needs time..."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, even if he is kind of an ass, we couldn't have pulled off getting the bells without him! Give him a chance sensei!"

Kakashi looked at them for a moment and nodded. "Nice job you two, for standing up for a fellow teammate." He released Sasuke and stood up. "Sasuke's demeanor can be improved a lot, so I'll give him a chance. I've seen his type before."

Sasuke gritted his teeth. He didn't like being talked about like he wasn't there. "Don't talk like you know me!" He got up and glanced at Naruto and Sakura. "And I don't need others speaking for me."

Before Naruto could yell at the boy, Kakashi spoke up first. "You really need to get a handle on that pride of yours. The anger too. Those two things will get you into a lot of problems. Not just as a shinobi, but as a person."

Only Sakura picked up that it sounded like he was speaking from experience.

Sasuke just huffed and reigned himself in, looking away from them.

Naruto perked up and ran towards Kakashi, inadvertently getting in his personal space. "Kakashi-sensei! Can we eat lunch now? I'm hungry!"

Kakashi looked down at Naruto and smiled fondly under his mask. The boy truly was the perfect combination of both his parents. He could be clever and take initiative like his father, but still had lots of energy and positive vibes like his mother. "Yeah, of course Naruto." He awkwardly patted the boy on the head and began walking off. "Let's go then. We can talk more while eating."

Sakura noted how Naruto had a red face and happy grin as he followed after Kakashi. It was almost like Naruto wasn't used to being treated nicely by adults, and from what she knows about him, it's probably the case. She had seen how teachers in the academy hate him, but she thought it was just because he was a troublemaker. When they had went to Ichiraku yesterday though, he was getting a lot of dirty looks from the villagers that seemed to be for much more than just pranks. On the other hand, she just got looks that said, 'why the hell are you, the nice merchant man's daughter, with this abomination?' It was annoying.

She made a mental note to make sure she keeps being nice to Naruto, even if sometimes he gets on her nerves. Him being hyperactive and stirring up mischief now and then didn't mean he deserved hatred. She walked after them and, after a moment, she saw Sasuke following from the corner of her eye. She looked back at him in surprise. The boy had his hands in his pockets and was looking down, seemingly deep thought.

He met her eye after a moment before looking away. "I'm just coming for the lunch. Don't get the wrong idea."

Sakura watched him for a moment and nodded, turning back to the front.

There was silence for a bit between her and Sasuke. Kakashi was walking quite far ahead of them, with Naruto next to him and excitedly chatting about something.

"Thanks." Sakura turned back around so quick, thinking she was hearing things. Sasuke was still looking away, but seemed slightly sheepish. "You were right about the test." He looked her in the eye. "Don't get too full of yourself though." At that, he trained his eyes up ahead with a light smirk.

It seems like even though Sasuke has his issues, he was making an attempt to get situated with the team. Or at least, with her.

Sakura giggled and nodded, which seemed to slightly irk him. Oops.

"Oh and one more thing guys," Kakashi said, stopping in his tracks. "As of today, you are official members of team seven." Before the kids could rejoice(minus Sasuke), Kakashi continued. "There is one main rule that you should take into account and abide by as members of my team." He looked into the distance, over in the direction where the memorial stone was.

"Those who break the rules are trash..." He looked back at them, and they felt a chill at the seriousness of his gaze. "...But those who abandon their comrades are lower than trash."

The words lingered in the genins' minds throughout their meal, particularly a certain raven-haired Uchiha's.

* * *

 **Chapter 10 End**


	11. Hunters x Aren't x Weak

Thank you to everyone who reads and everyone who leaves reviews! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter or Naruto.

* * *

 **Hunters x Aren't x Weak**

* * *

Team Kite and Team Asuma had just finished their meal and were getting ready to leave the restaurant. Up till now, Gon has been speaking minimally, only listening and laughing at things others said. The only time he really said anything was when someone addressed him, but even then he just gave short responses.

"Gon," Shikamaru called out. Gon, who had just been about to walk out the restaurant with his team, turned back. "Up for a game of shogi later?"

That was Shikamaru's way of asking if Gon was ok. Killua turned back to listen to Gon's response.

"...No thanks Shikamaru," Gon said, shaking his head. "I gotta go train today. Maybe tomorrow."

Shikamaru sighed but nodded. "That's fine. But we're here if anything, ok?" He gestured to him and Choji.

Gon nodded.

As Team Asuma walked out, Shikamaru shared a look with Killua, Choji patted Gon's shoulder, Ino stared between Gon and Killua curiously, and Asuma nodded at Kite.

Team Kite walked out behind them and surprisingly, it was Gon who spoke first. He turned to Bisky and asked, "Bisky, what type of training should I do to get stronger?"

Bisky hummed and looked at him. "Well, the next set of training I was gonna have you boys do is more Ren training. Remember how you had to run away from Kite during the test and use zetsu to recover aura?" Gon nodded. "You won't have that luxury in a real fight. If you want to be able to get into real fights without tiring out fast, you'll have to be able to maintain your ren for at least three hours."

"Really? That long?" Gon asked. Killua, too, looked surprised.

"An hour of ren roughly translates into ten minutes of fighting with Nen. So three hours would put you at thirty minutes," Bisky explained. "It'll be hard though. They say it takes a month to add just ten minutes to your ren." She held up a finger.

Gon and Killua instantly used Gyo. "The number 1!" They both called out. Kite was confused by the suddenness.

Bisky smiled and nodded. "Consistent training means everything when it comes to nen. You should practice at least once a day, twice if you can."

Gon nodded, digesting his teacher's words. "Got it." He turned to Kite. "Anything you want to add, Kite?"

Kite shook his head. "No, I'm sure Biscuit has it covered. Even though I'm technically the squad leader, I'm sure she knows more about nen than me and is better at teaching."

Gon nodded again. "Alright then." He looked at Killua. "Let's go Killua."

Killua was surprised, but relieved. He was afraid Gon wouldn't want him around.

"O-ok," he said. He followed Gon when the boy started walking off, and they both waved back at Bisky and Kite.

The two adults watched them get farther away before Bisky spoke.

"So any idea what's up with Gon?" Bisky asked.

Kite raised an eyebrow at her. "Wouldn't you know better than me? You've spent quite a lot of time with him."

"True," she replied. "But I've never seen Gon like this. He's usually an open book. Not one to close himself off from others, at least not as long as I've known him." She turned to Kite. "I figured if he's anything like his father, you might know something."

Kite shook his head. "He's very different from Ging-san. The only thing I see them having in common is that they're both Hunters to the core." He narrowed his eyes at Gon's back. _"And that may be part of the problem..."_

* * *

Gon and Killua barely spoke as they walked to the training grounds. Gon was just humming a tune and smiling while Killua was trying to bring himself to ask Gon if he really was ok now. He had never seen the boy act closed off like that before.

"Go–"

"Hey look Killua!" Gon said, pointing to the training ground entrance. "There's Naruto and Sakura! Looks like they just finished their test!"

It was true. Naruto and Sakura had just walked out with Sasuke and a man with spiky silver hair and a mask on his face. That was probably their sensei.

Gon ran forward and called out to their friends, waving happily. Killua walked behind him and kept his eyes trained on the man. The closer he got, the more familiar the guy seemed for some reason. The stature and hair color in particular was familiar.

"Hey guys!" Naruto said, grinning and waving.

"Gon! Killua! How'd your test go?" Sakura asked with a smile. "Knowing you two, I'm sure you aced it!"

Killua saw Gon's smile falter minisculely before it came back and he said, "We passed! We just came back from celebrating."

Naruto tilted his head. "So why'd you come here? You knew where we were taking our test?"

Killua shook his head. "Nah. Gon wanted to train a bit, so we came here."

Sakura looked interested. "What type of training?"

Before Gon could answer, Killua cut in. "Chakra training."

Sakura immediately understood they meant Nen training. She hadn't seen them use it much, and was kind of interested in watching, but she figured that if she came, the others on her team might come too(mainly Naruto). She didn't want to risk giving away the boys' secret.

So she nodded and yawned. "I would join you guys like usual, but I'm kind of beat." She turned to Naruto. "Naruto, if you're still hungry, wanna go to Ichiraku's?"

Naruto's eyes lit up and he nodded excitedly. "Of course! That bento box barely did anything for me!" He paused and turned to Kakashi. "No offense Kaka-sensei."

 _"Kaka-sensei..?"_ Kakashi thought, eye twitching. "It's fine Naruto. It was a small box, after all." Naruto grinned at him.

Killua had to take a closer look at the man. That voice definitely sounded familiar.

 _"Wait... isn't that..."_

Kakashi saw him looking and eye smiled. "Is there something on my mask?"

"Ah, no..." Killua said. "You just remind me of somebody else I know..." He saw Gon, Sakura and Naruto all giving him curious looks while Sasuke just stared at him in silence. He locked eyes with the raven-haired boy. "Oh, nice seeing you again duck-san. How's it going?"

Sasuke scoffed and walked away with his hands in his pockets. Sakura sighed at Killua and he smirked in response.

Sakura turned back to Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun, do you want to come to Ichiraku's with us too?"

Sasuke kept walking. "I'll pass."

The fact that he even responded surprised Killua. And it wasn't an arrogant or disrespectful response either. That's progress if he's ever seen it.

"Don't worry about him Sakura," Naruto said, patting her shoulder. "He'll come around. We did good today, right?"

Killua blinked in surprise. Just yesterday it seemed like Naruto hated Sasuke and wanted nothing to do with him. What the hell happened during their test?

"Yeah," Sakura said. She turned back to Gon and Killua. "Well, I don't want to hold up your training anymore. So, I'll see you guys later?"

Gon nodded. "Yeah." He turned to Naruto. "You too Naruto."

Naruto grinned in response and gave them a thumbs up.

Sakura nodded. "Alright," She turned to Kakashi. "Thanks for the lesson today sensei."

Naruto nodded in agreement. He had taken the man's words about never betraying comrades to heart.

Kakashi eye smiled at them. "No problem. Now go have fun you two."

Sakura's eye twitched, sensing that the man was implying they were going on a date. She said bye to her sensei and friends before walking off. Naruto did the same, even group hugging Gon and Killua, before following.

All that was left was Gon, Killua and Kakashi. Gon watched the man curiously, wondering why he was just standing there reading a book. Killua, meanwhile, had a feeling he knew who the man was.

"So it seems you're friends of my students," Kakashi said. He looked up at them with his visible eye. "In case you didn't hear, my name's Kakashi. Mind telling me yours?"

"Gon."

"Killua."

Kakashi hummed and looked back to his book. "Strange names indeed. But I guess it makes sense. You're foreigners after all." He flipped a page. "Though, those names sound strange even for foreigners."

Killua narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing. Can't I be curious about two foreigners who pop up in the village and suddenly get the chance to be genin?" Kakashi asked, still reading casually. "Especially when they've befriended two of my students?"

"So you don't trust us," Gon stated impatiently. "Instead of beating around the bush, you should just say what's on your mind."

There goes Gon being bold again.

Kakashi giggled lightly, covering his mouth with one hand. He seemed to be acting like he just read something funny in the book. It annoyed the boys.

"It's not that I don't trust you," Kakashi said between giggles. "I just wanted a closer look."

"Well you got it." Gon promptly stomped off, leaving Killua behind with Kakashi.

Normally, Killua would've immediately followed behind Gon. But he wanted to ask the man about something.

"So... it was you, right?" Killua asked in a low voice once he made sure Gon was out of hearing range. When Kakashi met his eye with a questioning gaze, Killua continued. "You were the ANBU with the Cat mask from a few days ago. The one that caught me following Naruto and brought me to the old man."

Kakashi said nothing for a few moments, just staring at Killua. It was kind of unsettling. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, for one thing, even though your hair is styled a bit differently, you have the same spiky silver hair as the ANBU," Killua started. "Then, you two also seem to be the same height and have the same body type."

Kakashi flipped a page. "That's all? That description could still fit many others," he said disinterestedly.

Killua's eye twitched in annoyance. "Your chakra feels the same too."

At that, Kakashi looked back at the boy in mild interest. "You can sense chakra at your age? And you sensed the chakra of an ANBU no less? Count me impressed."

Killua just knew the man was playing with him. "At first, I couldn't sense your chakra because it was suppressed. But when I admitted to being an assassin, your chakra flared like you were ready to take out a threat. After I cleared up that misunderstanding, it went back to being suppressed. But then, when I talked about Mizuki manipulating Naruto, your chakra steadily intensified in anger." Killua looked him in the eye. "You can try all you want to act dumb. I know it was you. I won't tell anyone, because I know it's supposed to be a secret, but I know it was you."

Kakashi stared at him silence for a few moments before eye smiling. "Aren't you just the little prodigy?" He ruffled Killua's hair.

"Hey!" Killua yelled out. He had to pry the man's hand off his head.

"Keep being friends with Naruto. You and that Gon boy. He needs all the friends he can get," Kakashi said, starting to walk away.

Killua raised an eyebrow, a question popping in his mind. "Why do you care so much about Naruto? What is he to you?"

Kakashi paused and said nothing for a moment before answering. "Someone important to someone important to me." He waved back at Killua and vanished in smoke.

Killua took a second to wonder what that meant, before remembering Gon and running to catch up with him.

* * *

Kakashi appeared in the Hokage's office, and Hiruzen greeted him with a kind smile.

"Kakashi-kun, how'd the test go?"

"It went much better than expected," Kakashi replied. "I had no idea that Naruto and Sakura would take initiative and work together so well. Their academy reports weren't accurate about them at all. Sasuke on the other hand, acted exactly how I expected, but he actually came around during the end. There's hope for him. He just needs guidance, and maybe actually having friends for the first time will help him too."

Hiruzen hummed. "I'm glad to hear that. I'm sure Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan's changes were at least partly influenced by their friendships with Gon-kun and Killua-kun. Those two boys just have a certain effect on people," he mused, taking a drag from his pipe. "They helped Sakura to become more open-minded and grow a bit from the girl she was for most of her time in the academy, even if it's not a total change. As for Naruto, they seem to be the first kids his age that he has actually let in, and his friendship with Sakura is no doubt because of them too."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. From the encounter he had with them, they didn't seem like they were capable of having that big of an effect on others. His first impression of them was that Gon was a naive kid with anger/impatience issues and Killua was a calm, rational boy with a lot of skill in many areas but not very social. Killua especially interested him, but that might just be because the boy reminded him of himself when he was that age, appearance wise, skill wise and personality wise(minus the cold demeanor).

But then again, he had seen the way Naruto hugged them and how Sakura had said something about how she normally trains with them. Maybe Kakashi just hadn't seen enough of the boys yet. He would have to keep an eye on them.

"How did their test go?" Kakashi asked. "They're on Kite-san's team with another foreigner girl right? How did they do?"

Hiruzen took a long drag from his pipe and blew out the smoke before smirking. "Those boys could full well become monsters."

Now Kakashi was interested. "What do you mean?"

The Hokage folded his hands together. "...When it comes to the basics like agility, speed, and strength, they're both at least high-chunin to low-jounin level, higher depending on the specific area." Kakashi's eye widened slightly, but he wasn't that surprised about Killua. Not after he knew about the boy's assassin training. He was more surprised about Gon, the boy had seemed pretty underwhelming. "Their combat skill isn't as refined, but they have a lot of time for improvement. Killua-kun excels with stealth, weapons, and has impressive techniques under his belt. Gon-kun, on the other hand..." Hiruzen looked Kakashi in the eye. "He is the main one I'm referring to when I say might become a monster."

"And why is that?"

"Because Killua-kun has been put through assassin training since he was three..." Hiruzen paused, then continued. "But from what Kite and Bisky have told me, Gon-kun hasn't went through any real type of battle training until about less than a year ago."

Kakashi failed to see where this was going. Even if the boy had speed and strength, doesn't this mean he would be far behind when it comes to combat and using jutsu? "And?"

Hiruzen sighed. "He displayed a technique much more powerful than a rasengan."

Oh.

"On top of that," Hiruzen continued, "His potential is really clear to see while fighting. Even though Kite-kun outclassed him by far, the boy was constantly adapting to the situation and using improvised strategies to make openings, never giving up. He appears to not be much of a thinker, but that's clearly not the case. He's clever in a way I haven't seen from many his age. A possible battle genius, if you will. Mind you, a year ago, he was just a civilian on a fishing island."

Oh.

"While Killua-kun has a lot of talent and skills that were honed by years of training, Gon-kun has raw potential and seemingly even more talent, with no where near the same amount of training. Killua-kun beats Gon when it comes to speed, skill, execution, and many other things. So overall, Killua is still above him. Yet, when it comes to raw power, instincts, and just an overall affinity for combat, he has Killua-kun beat."

Oh.

"Do you see what I mean now?"

Kakashi nodded. The kids in the academy had been training for years, but from what the Hokage was telling him, this boy who was a civilian a year ago is leagues above them with less than a year of training. That, and Killua has been put through most likely very harsh training from since he was a toddler, and Gon isn't as far behind him as he should be. It really was the awakening of a monster.

"But wait," Kakashi started. "How did he just start training with chakra if he's about the same age as the other genin? Normally, it's hard to use chakra once you get to a certain age, which is why the academy kids start so young. Are you telling me he got to a level where he can use a jutsu that is at least A-class when he just started using chakra?"

The rasengan is one of the most amazing jutsu Kakashi has ever had the privilege to witness, and it had taken Minato three years to create it, with _years_ of chakra training under his belt. Kakashi himself had tried to imitate it and add his own elemental affinity, but even he had failed. This Gon kid acquiring something more powerful in less than a year of learning chakra sounded absurd. And frightening.

Hiruzen coughed slightly. "Well, I can't disclose too much. Let's just say, those two boys don't use the same type of chakra. Neither do Kite or their other teammate."

That was interesting, but Kakashi decided not to press the subject. Maybe it was something like a kekkai genkai or a secret technique that stems from where they were from? Wait, that brings him to a new question.

"If I may, where are they all from anyway?" Kakashi asked. "You said Gon was from a fishing island, is he from the Land of the Waves?"

Hiruzen shook his head. "I want to tell you, Kakashi-kun, but it's complicated. Which is why I'm keeping the information classified." Kakashi said nothing. "Just know that those boys, their teammate, and Kite are no threat to the village. I promise you."

Kakashi wasn't all satisfied, but he nodded anyway. He trusted the Hokage. The man wouldn't let anyone who he thought was dangerous stay in his village. Especially ones who interact with Naruto. And besides, the kids knew Kite, and Kite proved himself to be a valuable Leaf shinobi years ago.

But, nevertheless, he would keep an eye on them. Not because he thought they were dangerous, but because he really did want a closer look. At first he had been mainly interested in Killua, but now this Gon boy also seemed promising to him. He was intrigued to see both how they would grow, and how they would help his new students grow.

"On another note..." Hiruzen started. "What are your plans for training your new students? I have no doubts that Sakura-chan and Naruto-kun will be determined to catch up to those boys, and Sasuke-kun isn't the type to want to fall behind either."

Oh, right. Training them. Kakashi hadn't gotten that far because he honestly had no clue. He had been busy with his last ANBU mission and reading Make-out Paradise lately too.

"Uh... well... haha..." Kakashi replied nervously, scratching his cheek.

Hiruzen shook his head. "You would think you would have figured out at least the beginning of their training, Kakashi-kun." He took another drag from his pipe and exhaled slowly. "Well, if I were you, I'd get on it. The chunin exams will be held in a few months and Gon-kun and Killua-kun will be participating. More than likely, your students will want to participate too because of them. And that'll start a chain reaction for the other rookie genin to join in too." He smirked at Kakashi. "Kite's genin are far beyond the other teams. Im sure you know Guy's team is a threat too. Genin from other village are no joke either. If you want your students to keep up, train them well. Or they might just hate you."

Kakashi sighed. Why'd he become a jounin sensei again?

* * *

Meanwhile, the two boys were in the training field, panting and sweating like they had just run nine marathons. Killua was standing up, still maintaining his ren slightly, while Gon was on his hands and knees trying to stand back up.

"Damn it..." Gon muttered. "It's only been... forty minutes..."

Killua wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked down at Gon. "Remember what Bisky told us? About how the average person takes a month to add ten minutes to their ren?" Gon slowly nodded. "We'll have to work really hard if we want to increase it fast."

Gon shakily got back up to his feet and produced a little more aura. "Yeah..."

They were in a secluded part of the forest and were using one of the scrolls they received from Kite that allows them to hide the sight of their nen. The scroll has a seal in it that activates a special genjutsu. The genjutsu makes their nen appear and feel more like chakra as long as they stay within a certain proximity to the seal.

Apparently, Kite helped create the seal. It even had the pattern that was on the string Wing made Gon wear and the Greed Island Ring. The design clearly had some type of interactive properties with Nen. When combined with the sealing jutsu of Ninja, Kite created "Nen Seals." He even told them that he would place seals on their own bodies at a later time for practical purposes.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Killua saw Gon struggling to keep up his ren. He, too, was having a hard time, but Gon looked ready to collapse. "Gon, try to calm your aura flow a bit. You're wasting too much." Even though Gon had more aura than Killua, Killua had better control. This allowed him to maintain ren longer.

"Yeah..." Gon said. He closed his eyes and entered a meditative-like state, gradually calming his nen. He opened his eyes. "Thanks Killua."

"NOW WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?!"

Gon and Killua turned in alarm at the voice. Behind them was a man dressed from head to toe in green, with a bowlcut hairstyle, and a bright grin on his face.

"Nothing makes me happier than seeing two flames of youth trying to brighten their fire!" He gave them a thumbs up and an eye wink to accompany his speech.

Killua's eye twitched. _"What does that even mean...?"_

Gon just stared blankly, still panting. "Is there something you need mister?"

"Oh, nothing really!" The man said. "I was just strolling by, talking a calming walk before I started my 1000 laps around the village," Killua raised an eye brow at this while Gon's eyes widened slightly. Even though Bisky had put them through grueling training, this village was very big and that was a _lot_ of laps. "I happened to sense two presences and got curious. I didn't expect to find two youthful ones in their springtime!"

 _"Ok,"_ Killua thought _, "I have no idea what this guy's talking about."_ He took a deep breath, focusing on maintaining his ren still, and spoke. "And? Why'd you stop to talk to us? Is there something you want?"

"Ah, well you see, I couldn't help but notice your outfits!" He said. Gon and Killua both looked down. They were still wearing the kung fu pants and shoes, along with a tank top for Gon and a sweatshirt for Killua. "I couldn't help but wonder, are you two taijutsu practitioners? Your clothes certainly suggest so!" He pointed at Gon's bare arms. "And so does your physique, young man!"

Both Killua and Gon knew that Taijutsu meant martial arts. "Kind of..." Gon replied, still struggling to keep up his ren.

The man started clapping in delight. "I had hoped so! Two pillars like you deserve to be guided down the righteous path of the furious fist!"

Killua saw where this was going. "Sorry, but we already have a teacher."

The man fell to the floor in comical fashion, causing both boys to drop their ren at his bizarreness.

He was now on the ground crying. "Some one else got to these pillars of youth before me?! Damn!" He raised a fist at the sky. "It better not have been you, my splendid rival Kakashi!"

Gon and Killua both instantly recognized that name, but it was Killua who spoke. "Kakashi isn't our teacher, but we know him." When the man looked his way, he continued. "We met him about an hour ago. He's the sensei of two of our friends. But we're on a different team from them."

The man regarded them silently for a few moments before a lightbulb went off in his head. "Oh! I see! You must be the new foreigners that became genin, correct?!" They nodded, a bit warily. "Sorry, sorry! Here I had thought you were two blossoming academy students! Only cause you appear to be a bit on the younger side but..." Killua's eye twitched in annoyance. "This is great news! I've been dying to meet you, I'm acquainted with Kite-kun!" He stood up and got into another thumbs up pose. "My name is Might Guy, the one and only Green Beast of Konoha! What are your names?!"

Gon titled his head at him curiously, but answered, "Gon Freecs."

"Killua Zoldyck," Killua said, still a bit put off by this man. "It was nice to meet you, but we were training before and we'd like to get back to it."

Gon nodded. "Yeah. Sorry mister, but I have to get stronger." He took a deep breath and activated his ren again.

"Oh? I can help you with that!" Guy said. When both kids looked at him skeptically, he explained. "I can't help you really with improving your chakra, but I can help you go beyond your physical limits!"

"My limits..." Gon mused, looking down at his feet. Killua gave him a sidelong look, wondering what he was thinking.

"I'm not asking to be your official teacher. After all, you already have your own teacher and I have my own student." He grinned, and continued. "But it seems as though fate has guided me to you boys. There's nothing wrong with me helping out two youngsters for a day!"

Killua narrowed his eyes at him. The man didn't seem untrustworthy, but he didn't understand his reasoning. "Why are you doing this? You don't even know us, and you already said you have your own student..."

Guy regarded the boys seriously for a few moments. "Well you see..." He bowed his head. "The thing is..." Gon and Killua got ready to hear some big reveal, but instead, the man's eyes started sparkling and somehow a sunset appeared behind him. "YOU TWO ARE THE MOST YOUTHFUL ONES I'VE SEEN IN A VERY LONG TIME!" The boys stumbled back a bit from the loudness of his voice. "THE DEDICATION TO ALREADY BE AT THE TRAINING GROUNDS THE SAME DAY YOU HAD YOUR GENIN EXAM, THE DETERMINATION TO KEEP TRAINING DESPITE YOUR FATIGUE, THE TEAMWORK YOU DISPLAY BY HELPING EACH OTHER TO IMPROVE, IT'S ALL SO BEAUTIFUL! IT'S ONLY NATURAL I WANT TO HELP FAN YOUR FLAMES!"

The boys just stared at him with weirded out faces. "Uh... Ok?" Gon said. His ren was once again dispelled, having a hard time keeping it up in the man's presence.

Killua had to wonder how long the man was watching them, but didn't bother asking. He took a deep breath and instead asked, "Ok, so what did you have in mind? The two of us fight you in a taijutsu match?"

Guy grinned and nodded. "That's a start. But how about..." He pulled out a scroll and with a 'poof', a few pairs of weighted wrist and leg bands appeared. "You fight with these on. It will serve to strengthen your body and resolve at a faster rate."

Killua looked at the weights disinterestedly. "How much do they weigh?"

"Great question my young one! There's 5 sets of wrist bands and 5 sets of leg bands, and each set weighs differently. The lowest set weighs around 50 kg each—"

"How much does the highest set weigh?" Killua cut in.

Guy hummed. "I think the ones here weigh about 1000 kg—"

"Then don't bother." Guy looked up at Killua in confusion. "That's too low for us. The last time we measured our strength, I could handle over 16 tons and Gon could handle around 2." The man's jaw dropped in disbelief. "And that was almost a year ago, we've gotten much stronger since then. Gon especially."

Gon looked at Killua a bit skeptically but said nothing.

"Y-you do realize that 4 tons is over 3,000 kg and 16 tons is over 10,000 kg right?! No way that's true!" Guy said.

"We can't give away too much, but let's just say physical strength is our homeland's forte," Killua said.

Killua remembered Kite saying something about how the measurement units were the same here, yet another oddity. Bisky and him had been talking about what shinobi were like compared to Hunters, and he said that on average, Hunters have superior physical strength to shinobi, especially when Nen is factored in. The average shinobi won't be able to lift more than 3 tons, but because of chakra and the strange physiology of people in this world, that doesn't hinder their durability and striking strength as much as one would think. Most shinobi would still get dominated in a drawn out close combat fight by any skilled Hunter, but they can hold their own.

Guy had been staring at the boys with a serious gaze for a few moments, before he nodded to himself and spoke. "I have heavier weights, but I'm wearing them. I don't have any ones for you."

"How much do the ones you have on weigh?" Gon asked curiously.

Guy looked down at his legwarmers. "Well the ones on my legs should be about 6 tons each." Gon and Killua's eyes widened, but Guy continued. "The undervest I have on is about 8 tons. I'm also wearing armbands with weighted seals that add 4 tons each." He looked back up at the boys. "All in all, I have on 28 tons. I would've added a bit more, but I'm trying to give my body a decent workout without having to enhance it with chakra."

Gon had his mouth wide open in amazement, walking forward and asking Guy to see his weights. The man sat on the ground and showed Gon the ones of his legs.

Killua, meanwhile, hung back in shock. _"But Kite said..."_

Then again, Kite had been talking about the _average_ shinobi. This man was clearly far from average, and all signs pointed towards him being a taijutsu specialist. It made sense that those who relied on close combat would excel when it came to physical strength. He didn't even want to begin to think of what kind of strength he had with chakra enhancement. Even though lifting strength didn't directly translate to striking strength here, it was still scary to think about.

"Guy-san," Gon said. Guy turned to look at him. "Do you think you could get some weights for me? I'd like to use them for my training."

Guy grinned and went back to his over-the-top persona. "Of course youthful one! If your claims of strength are true, then I should see to it that you reach even greater heights!" He turned to Killua. "My offer still stands by the way. I don't have to be your teacher. I'll just give you the weights and some training tips. Maybe if I have free time in the future and happen to find you two we can spar."

Killua put a hand to his chin in thought. Bisky used to give them a lot of physical training back on Greed Island (mainly digging paths through mountains and doing thousands of push-ups) but now it seemed like she was focusing more on their Nen training. Kite seemed like he was going to just be giving them guidance more than actually training them. Guy was giving them the opportunity to improve physically and combat-wise, even if Nen was their main focus right now. But still...

"What about your student?" Killua asked suddenly, catching Gon and Guy's attention. "If you're wasting time training us, won't you be neglecting him?"

"Nope," the man answered. "Lee knows what he has to do. He's very self-motivated, and these days he's been working on improving himself alone anyway. There's not much I can do to assist him right now besides the mandatory team training sessions I do with him and his two teammates." He gestured to the two boys. "Like I said, this isn't going to be an everyday thing, and it probably won't even be often. But if I happen to come to the training grounds during my free time and see you, I'll help you. You can just take the pointers I give you today and find your own ways to improve. I'll give Kite-kun some weights for you too."

"But still," Killua pressed. "Won't your student at least be upset that you're training two other kids?"

Guy rubbed his chin in thought. "Upset? No, probably the opposite." When Killua and Gon looked at him confused, he gave them a smirk. "After all, he might get to fight you boys in the future. He'll be honored to exchange blows with the ones I saw potential in." When the boys didn't reply, he changed the subject. "So anyway, why did you stop doing the chakra aura training you were doing before I got here? You should've kept it up while we were talking."

"Chakra aura?" Killua questioned. He hadn't seen that in the academy textbooks. Even though him and Gon used Nen, he still was curious about what it was, though it sounded self-explanatory.

"You didn't even know what you were doing?" Guy asked. The boys shook their heads, playing along. Guy sighed. "I see. So you were just experimenting with chakra and accidentally learned an advanced chakra control skill. Prodigies, just like another one I know..." The way he trailed off made Killua raise an eyebrow.

"So a chakra aura is just surrounding the body with chakra right?" Gon asked for clarification.

Guy nodded. "Well let me just say that you two are very advanced for your age, because it isn't that simple." At their curious gazes, he continued. "Normally, a little chakra always surrounds the body, but it is slow-flowing and invisible to the naked eye. It can only be seen by doujutsu users. A chakra aura involves releasing chakra from all the chakra points around the body simultaneously to increase the outer layer of chakra. It takes a lot of chakra control and skill to be able to form a chakra aura and a lot of reserves to maintain it. That technique usually isn't even taught to genin because it's risky for those with small reserves and mediocre control. The only person I know who could do that at your age was Kakashi..."

Gon and Killua made brief eye contact, but Guy didn't catch it.

"But anyway, here's something interesting for you." The boys perked up. "Chakra is tied to your stamina. If you train by maintaining a chakra aura and fighting in a taijutsu battle, you'll be increasing your chakra reserves, the amount of time you can maintain a chakra aura, and your overall stamina. Not to mention fighting while fatigued will help increase your speed and reactions. This is the type of training taijutsu practitioners do on a regular to get in peak condition," Guy grinned. "And didn't you want to get stronger?"

That was all Gon needed to hear. Even though Guy was talking about chakra, the same rules pretty much applied to Nen anyway.

He stepped up and activated his ren. "Ok... let's do it Killua."

Killua looked at Gon skeptically, but nodded. The boy wasn't going to change his mind. He just hoped their battle wouldn't take them too far away from the scroll. "Alright." He stepped up beside Gon, activated his ren, and looked at Guy. "You're on bowlhead."

Guy grinned and got into a relaxed fighting stance. "May the springtime of battle begin!"

Killua rolled his eyes and raced to catch up to Gon, who was already sprinting forward.

* * *

Meanwhile, an old man was watching two kids get smacked around by a man in green yelling about "youth" from a crystal ball.

He couldn't maintain his amusement, or his intrigue.

 _"These boys truly have a way of getting acquainted with people don't they?"_ He mused.

Part of him hoped that Guy would keep his word and training with them would just be a rare occurrence.

Between their already present skills, being taught by Bisky, being guided by Kite, and training with Guy, they would become absolute savages.

It just wasn't fair.

At this rate, the Hokage had no doubt in his mind that they would make all leaf shinobi lose motivation.

* * *

The boys dropped onto the floor as soon as they got inside their apartment. They were exhausted, and had gotten pretty much tossed around for hours. Twice in one day.

"Ah, I was just about to go looking for you two! It's really late you know!" Bisky scolded, peeking out from the kitchen. "I came to your apartment to see if you had food, but you weren't here so I started cooking."

Gon and Killua just made grunts of acknowledgement from the ground, drifting off into unconsciousness.

Bisky walked out from the kitchen to examine her students. They were sweating _a lot_ , with multiple bruises all over their body and exhausted expressions on their faces.

She decided to take pity on them.

"Well, looks like it's time to use my ability!" She summoned her hatsu masseur 'Cookie' and pointed at the boys. "Take it away, Cookie-chan!"

The moment 'Cookie's' fingers started touching the boys' backs, their bodies instantly became more relaxed and their expressions became more content.

Bisky smiled and went back to cooking while her hatsu worked it's magic.

A half-hour later, Gon woke up. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he sat up and remembered where he was. He looked over at Killua, who was being massaged by a pink-haired women he wasn't familiar with.

"Umm... hello?" Gon said.

'Cookie' smiled sweetly and waved at him.

"Oh Gon! You're awake!" Bisky called from the kitchen. A few moments later she walked out with a plate of food for him. "That was fast. You truly have impressive recovery." She nudged her head towards 'Cookie'. "By the way, meet my hatsu, Cookie-chan. She has the most magic hands in existence, and her massages gave you a full-night's rest in only thirty minutes." She looked down at Killua. "I believe you woke up earlier than him because you just have faster recovery speed. He might be out for a little while longer."

Gon nodded. When Bisky handed him the plate, he gave a quiet thanks and they ate in silence while 'Cookie' worked on Killua.

"So, how did ren training go?" Bisky asked. "I assume from the way you boys came home that it was exhausting."

"Yeah. We had to keep taking breaks and using zetsu before continuing."

Bisky hummed. "Those bruises. Did you two fight somebody? I doubt that's from sparring with each other."

Gon, who had eaten his food very quickly, placed his plate down on the floor next to him. "We met a man in the forest. He was a jounin and offered to spar with us to help improve our physical skills."

"So the two of you fought him together?" Bisky asked.

"If you could even call that a fight," Gon said lowly. "We couldn't do a thing against him. Even with the two on one advantage, we were powerless. Just like earlier against Kite."

Bisky narrowed her eyes. She didn't know if it was because he was still a bit tired, but Gon was starting to give her some insight into what was going on in his head.

"Listen to me Gon," He looked up to meet her eyes. "Kite is a jounin and a remarkable hunter, no doubt a remarkable Nen user as well. You said the man you met is also a jounin. While you may be on the level of a chunin or higher in some aspects like raw power and strength, those above you have experience, tactics, and a more defined skillset. You're still unrefined, but you have plenty of time to grow..."

"Do I?" Gon questioned. His fists were shaking as they tightly gripped his pants.

"Yes, Gon," Bisky said. "You're still young. Very young. And you started training very recently. Yet, you're already at a level most people don't reach until years after they started training." Gon looked down. "I don't think you get that. You and Killua are extremely talented for your age. Don't underestimate your own growth. All things take time. What are you in such a rush for?"

Gon's fingers loosened and he looked up at Bisky with a small, tired smile. "Yeah. Thanks Bisky." Before she could reply, Gon got up from the floor and stretched a bit. "I'm gonna go up on the roof to get some fresh air. I'm still kind of sweaty. If Killua wakes up, tell him I'll be back soon." Bisky nodded and Gon went into his room for a minute before coming back out. He exited the apartment, pulling the door closed behind him.

Bisky sighed. She had a feeling that she didn't completely reach Gon, and she doesn't think she can. The boy holds himself to standards that are too high. As much as she can try to instill self-assurance in him, his doubt will always come back whenever he doesn't live up to his own standards. He also doesn't seem to have learned to deal with emotions well, instead choosing to bottle them up and keep it moving. What Gon seems to need is the one thing he's been searching for all this time: A father.

* * *

Gon sat atop the roof of the building, looking up at the night sky. It reminded him of when he used to watch the stars back on Whale Island. Between all the craziness in Yorknew City, the constant activity in Greed Island, and getting used to being in Konoha, Gon hasn't had time to really sit back and just look at the sky.

 _"It's easy to say stuff... but meaning what you say is something else. Right Mito-san?"_

 _"Being a Hunter isn't for weaklings Mito-san."_

 _"I'll come back as one of the greatest Hunters one day!"_

Those were some of the things he said to Mito before going out to start his journey, but yet here he was.

Not doing what he said he would do.

He sighed. He should probably put in some extra training, but he didn't even have the drive for it right now.

Instead, he reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out his father's Hunter License, the one Kite had left with Gon all those years ago. He admired it, tracing his finger over the Hunter Logo.

"Well that looks familiar."

Gon whipped around and saw Kite, leaning against the railing of the roof.

"Kite...? What are you doing here?" Gon asked.

Kite looked up. "Same thing you're doing here, gazing at the sky."

Gon said nothing, and instead turned back around. Kite walked over and took a seat next to him.

There was silence for a while before Kite spoke again.

"I watched your training, by the way." When Gon turned to look at him, he continued. "Your training with Guy-san. I was there."

"Oh," Gon said, turning away. "Why didn't you say hi to Guy-san? You're friends with him right?"

Kite knew Gon was trying to change the subject, but he allowed it. "Guy-san can be a bit much. I wasn't in the mood today to deal with it. I'll see him soon."

Gon nodded.

"You did well," When he received no answer from Gon, he continued. "You did well both against me and against Guy. If that's the reason why you're so down, it shouldn't be." Still no response. "Look, I know this probably has to do with Ging-san. The chunin exam comes up in a few months, and after that we'll be travelling around together. We'll most likely get into battles with strong enemies, and you think you won't be ready. But trust me, you improve at a fast rate. You don't need to stress over this. You're still growing, Gon. You have time."

Gon said nothing for a long time before he finally spoke. "...Ging left a tape recorder with a message for me back on Whale Island."

Kite was thrown for a loop by the shift in conversation, but he was interested. "Really? He never told me about that..."

Gon, still looking pointedly at the sky, gave a humorless smile. "Do you want to know what one of the things he said was?"

Kite didn't say anything, waiting for the boy to open up more.

Gon's smile dimmed. "He said that he doesn't even _want_ to see me."

Kite was taken aback by that. "What? But that's not the impression he gave me... he always seemed to care about you. He talked about you quite a bit. Bragged, even."

Gon gripped his elbows tightly. "Don't lie to me, Kite. We both know Ging doesn't care about me." His grip loosened slightly. "And that's fine."

Kite shook his head. "No Gon. Trust me, Ging-san really does care about you. Do you really think he would've made Greed Island for you if he didn't?"

Gon chuckled slightly. "Made Greed Island for me?" He laughed some more, making Kite wonder what to say. "There was a message for me at the start of Greed Island. Ging said 'he just wanted to show off the game to me.' He didn't make Greed Island for me. Ging wouldn't do something for somebody else if he didn't already want to do it for himself."

Kite saw Gon's point. Ging _was_ very selfish, but... "Gon, I think I should tell you the truth..." Gon finally looked at Kite, a questioning expression on his face. "Look, Ging-san didn't really abandon you... he—"

"I know." At Kite's confused face, Gon continued. "He brought me to Whale Island for Granny to babysit me for a while, but then Mito-san got mad at him and saw him as an unreliable parent so she took him to court. She won custody over me, and Ging left me with her. I know all of that. But still..." He looked away. "He could've fought for me. I doubt he tried his best in court. And even besides court, he's one of the best hunters in the world and regularly goes off the map. He could've took me with him if he really wanted to. But... he didn't."

"...Do you resent him for that?" Kite asked.

Gon shook his head. "I admire him for that. He was willing to put everything behind him to pursue his dream of becoming a Hunter."

Kite regarded him silently for a moment. "But you wish he had taken you with him."

Gon smiled slightly. "I love Mito-san and Granny. They're the best family you could have. And I met a lot of friends and people I care about like Killua and Bisky." The smile on his face faded quicker than it had appeared. "But sometimes I just wonder how different things would be if he had taken me with him."

Kite sighed. He really didn't know how to deal with situations like these well. "I'm sorry, Gon. I didn't know you had all of this on your mind. I know you wish you had a fa—"

"That's not it, Kite," Gon cut in, shaking his head. "It's ok that he wasn't there. I had a great home life with Mito-san and Granny. It's not that I wish I had a father. You've got it all wrong."

"So help me get it right, Gon. Help me understand." Kite made eye contact as he spoke.

Gon held his gaze for a few seconds before he looked down. "Back on Whale Island, everyone had pretty high expectations for me because I'm Ging's son," he started. "At some point, I started thinking of myself that way too. Once I caught the Lord of the Lake and left for the Hunter Exam, I felt on top of the world. Like I was ready for anything. I had left to take the Exam at the same age Ging had, and I was going to follow in his footsteps to become one of the greatest hunters." He clenched his fist. "But the Hunter Exam... showed me how wrong I was." Hisoka and Hanzo specifically flashed through his mind. "I only even passed the exam because other people allowed it, not because of my own strength. I'm nothing like Ging was at my age."

"Gon, what are you saying?" Kite asked. "You're a phenomenal kid and—"

"You don't think the same?" Gon cut in, turning to look Kite in the eye. "Can you really tell me that you didn't have higher expectations for me? That you weren't disappointed during the Genin exam? If that was a real test, I only would've passed because of Killua!"

Kite shook his head. "That's not true, it was a team effort. Your hatsu mixups and the smoke bomb you threw played a vital role in Killua being able to get close to me in the first place."

"You even said Killua played the key role!" Gon yelled in frustration. "You said that without his hatsu, we wouldn't have gotten a target! Bisky gave Killua all praise and said she's proud of him while she just gave me criticism!"

Kite was silent for a few moments, waiting for the boy to calm a bit. "Gon… are you jealous of Killua?"

"No! Killua's my best friend!"

Kite could tell he was being honest, which was a good thing. Jealously has ruined many great friendships after all.

"So why bring up Killua in that way?"

Gon said nothing for a few moments, just looked back up at the stars. "Because Killua is amazing, really amazing. I've known that since I met him. But I'm..." He picked up his father's Hunter License and stared at it. "...not."

"That's not true, Gon." Kite sighed internally. He was trying his best, but he really didn't know how to deal with this. "You're just as amazing as he is."

"You're wrong..." Gon said immediately. "Killua has gone through a lot more than I have, but he barely let's it hold him back. He might falter here and there, but he's still always amazing. Me? I couldn't even win the fight against Genthru without Killua's plan and Bisky training! I could barely even land a good hit on him! What's so great about me?" He said nothing for a few moments before continuing in a quieter voice. "If Ging saw me right now... he'd be disappointed."

Silence. Kite felt like he finally understood.

"That's what it is isn't it?" He asked quietly. "It's not that you wanted a father in the past... but you want to impress Ging when you meet him and get him to acknowledge you as a good hunter..."

Because of admiration or a subconscious longing for fatherly love? Kite didn't know. With someone like Gon, both are likely.

Gon didn't react to Kite's words for about a minute. He just sat, staring blankly at the sky.

Suddenly, he turned his face away from Kite's view and his body started shaking. Kite could tell the boy was trying to hold back tears.

"Damn it..." Gon sniffed. He furiously wiped at his eyes to stop the tears from coming out.

Kite sighed and pulled the boy into a comforting but slightly awkward hug.

"Kite... I'm... weak."

Kite looked down at Gon. The boy was gritting his teeth and glaring down at his boots, still wiping away tears. He looked like he was struggling with his emotions so he was instead resorting to being angry and directing it all at himself. This is a dangerous mentality, and could have long-lasting consequences. It seems like it's already _had_ long lasting consequences.

Kite couldn't leave him in this self-destructive state.

"This isn't the Gon I know," Kite told. He felt Gon flinch and stop moving at this. "What happened to all that optimism? The drive to keep moving forward no matter what? Remember when I was going to kill that angry foxbear all those years ago? Because I said it couldn't live with humans in peace?"

Gon nodded slowly.

"Back then, you were determined to keep it, no matter how impossible it seemed that it would grow to be peaceful amongst humans. And yet, you made the impossible possible, Gon. That's what makes _you_ special. Forget about Killua. Forget about Biscuit. Forget about Ging-san." He saw a tear start to leak out of Gon's eye. "You don't know if Ging-san would really be disappointed. You'll just have to find out when we find him. All you can do now is improve yourself, you have plenty of time and plenty of people to help. But if even after you find him he doesn't want to deal with you? Don't worry Gon." He patted his head. "I'll still be here. So will Biscuit. So will Killua. Just focus on being someone _you_ can be proud of. That's what really matters."

After quietly listening to Kite's wisdom, Gon smiled shakily and nodded. "Right." He wiped away a tear and started laughing, giving Kite another hug. "Thanks, Kite. You give really good advice."

Kite, on the other hand, was happy Gon was able to open up but kind of uncomfortable that he was the one having to deal with all the boy's emotions. He wasn't used to stuff like this, but supposed he would have to get used to it. After all, he had a feeling he would be Gon's go-to source of support for the foreseeable future.

* * *

Meanwhile, in an estate deep in the center of large mountains, a woman was having a meltdown.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LOST TRACK OF KILLUA?!"

The three men in the room sighed. The woman really didn't know how to keep her cool.

"Relax Kikyo," Silva said. "Let Illumi explain more. That'll give us a better idea of how to handle the situation." Zeno nodded in agreement with his son.

Kikyo took a deep breath to reign herself in and nodded at Illumi to continue.

"The needle I put in Kil's head has vanished from my senses. I can no longer tell where he is, and don't know if my influence is still affecting him wherever he is." He paused, before adding. "I lost track of him approximately three weeks ago." Since he was on a long term mission and had just gotten back, he was telling his family now. He decided it wouldn't have been wise to tell them while he wasn't there.

"Doesn't that mean that the needle was removed? Why didn't you go to the last location you sensed it and try to track down Kil from there?!"

Zeno sighed once again. "If Kil removed the needle, Illumi would've known because he would've still been able to sense it. If the needle was destroyed, he would know because the nen would have returned to him. If Kil died, Illumi would still be able to sense the needle, but not Killua's life force. Isn't that right Illumi?" Illumi nodded. "Illumi specifically said 'vanished', which means it isn't as simple as that."

Silva's calculating eyes turned to his father. "Doesn't that mean..."

Zeno nodded. "There's a chance that Illumi's connection to the needle is being cancelled out by where Kil is..."

"And what does that mean?" Kikyo asked. "Does that mean Kil is in a place so far away that he can't be reached?!"

Silva and Zeno made momentary eye contact before turning to Kikyo. "He can be reached, woman. Calm down," Silva said. "The problem is, if he's where we think he is, he's in a very far off and dangerous place. There's a chance he might even be dead already." Kikyo gasped in horror and Illumi just stared at them blankly. "We'll have to find a safe way to get to him. We can't just rush out and chase him down."

Kikyo jumped up out her chair, fuming. "Are you saying we should waste time while Kil is in danger?! He's the heir to the family! The most talented Zoldyck in history!" She screamed. "We can't afford to lose him! We have to find him NOW!"

A vein bulged in Silva's head. "Do you know how big the Dark Continent is?" When Kikyo hesitated, he continued on. "The Dark Continent is many times larger than our world as we know it and over 10x more dangerous! Wandering around aimlessly won't help us find them! It'll only help us die, or end up like that THING we have in our basement!"

Everyone knew Silva was talking about the "little girl" they had locked up underneath the estate.

While Kikyo sat back in her chair and started crying in helplessness, Zeno turned to Illumi. "We'll try to figure out a way to get to Kil. For now, Illumi, do you know where Killua was last?"

Illumi nodded. "He was in a video game called Greed Island, which took place in an island at the center of the map." When he saw his father and grandfather rubbing their chins, he continued. "I would ask the Gon boy about Killua's whereabouts, but I'm sure that the two are together right now."

Zeno hummed. "Perhaps you should focus on trying to figure out how Kil got where he is from Greed Island, then. The Dark Continent is far from the center of the map, so he could have been transported by something. Maybe even someone's Nen."

"Got it," Illumi said, turning around to walk out.

"Illumi." He turned back to look at his father. "Keep in touch and update us with whatever you learn. We need to get to Kil as quickly as possible."

Illumi nodded. "Understood." He walked out and shut the door behind him, still hearing his mother's wails and his father's attempts to get her to be silent.

Once he walked outside the estate and got a bit of distance from it, he took out his phone and dialed a number. He waited patiently for the person he sought to pick up.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

 _"Why, hello Illumi,"_ The person purred. _"To what do I owe this pleasant surprise_ ◆ _?"_

"Hisoka, I need a favor," Illumi said.

 _"Ooou, a favor... You never ask for those,"_ Hisoka replied. _"Want a back massage? I have really **soft hands**_ 🎔 _."_

Illumi was unfazed. "You were in that Greed Island game with Gon and Killua." That seemed to get Hisoka's attention, if the interested hum was anything to go by. "I've lost the ability to sense Killua's needle, which means he's probably far out of my reach, in what my father and grandfather call the 'Dark Continent.' Would you know anything about what happened to them after the game?"

 _"Hmm, not particularly,"_ Hisoka drawled. _"Although, I do believe I've been having issues with my memory lately... Perhaps your needles can help jog it_ 🎔 _?"_

Illumi knew that Hisoka was holding back information. "If I'm not mistaken, you owe me a favor from when I helped you back in Yorknew."

Hisoka purred. _"Shame your help resulted in me not getting what I want anyway ◇."_

"I would assume Gon is with Kil too. If Kil's in danger, so is Gon. Don't you still want to fight Gon when he gets older?" There was momentary silence over the line before Illumi heard a quiet moan. "I'm sure that's a yes. Therefore, it would be wise that you work we me so we can reach them."

Hisoka hummed. _"...I may or may not have seen those two along with their Nen master transported somewhere else by nen..."_ He chuckled a bit. _"After I sent the Nen Exorcist to Chrollo, I went back to keeping tabs on Gon. Him and Killua tried to activate a card that transports them to another person, but it seemed to have a different effect. Normally, the nen flies them to the destination, but this time, they simply vanished. Without a trace_ ◇ _."_ He fake sighed. _"Not much else I can tell you._ _Sorry_ 🎔 _."_

Illumi went over the information in his head before nodding to himself. "Ok. So, do you have any idea of how to locate them?"

He could picture Hisoka's responding smile in his head clear as day. "◆ _A true **magician** always has a few tricks up his **sleeve**_ ◇."

As Illumi kept speaking to Hisoka, he paid no mind to the apprentice butler nearby who was listening in with intent. He cared about nothing else but getting his little brother back and never letting him run off again.

* * *

 **Chapter 11 End**

For those of you wondering, yes, chakra aura is something I (kind of) made up. I mean, certain characters already basically had it. Ex: Naruto with the Kyubi Chakra. But I had to make it a chakra control technique for balance purposes. Without this, going by the rules of Nen, every shinobi that is hit by a Nen attack should either automatically die or be heavily injured because they have no protection. This can counter that.

In case anyone didn't know, Mito taking Gon away from Ging in court really happened. It's in the first chapter of the manga, and I don't know why they left it out of the 2011 version. Just like I don't know why they left Kite out of the first episode but that's a whole other story. I highly recommend HxH fans to read at least chapter 1 of the manga because it provides much more insight to Gon's character and why he acts the way he does. Especially this line: "Being a Hunter isn't for weaklings."

Anyways, thanks for reading! Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	12. New Feelings x and x Old Friends

Thank you to everyone who reads and everyone who leaves reviews! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter or Naruto.

* * *

 **New Feelings x and x Old Friends**

* * *

Sakura tied her hair into a ponytail and yawned as she walked down the stairs from her room. Her ribs still slightly ached from where Kakashi kicked her during the test yesterday, but she would be fine. She would have to get used to being hurt like this anyway—she had just become a ninja after all.

Today was her first team meeting and she was feeling very optimistic. They did well during the test and there had been a very pleasant atmosphere while they were eating lunch afterward.

Her and Naruto were getting along more well than she thought they would, and she even found out that they both had a hobby in common: going for walks or runs.

Kakashi seemed like he would be a wise sensei who would be able to teach them a lot.

Sasuke, too, seemed to be warming up ever so slightly.

Seemed like it at least. He could change moods at the drop of a hat.

But still, maybe this team really could work out.

She walked in the kitchen and greeted her parents quietly. Her father was sitting at the table reading from a newspaper and her mother was cooking at the stove. They both turned to look at her as soon as she entered.

"Goodmorning Sakura!" her father, Kizashi, greeted cheerfully. "Did you sleep well?"

Sakura nodded at him and felt her mother's eyes on her. She turned to make eye contact and saw that her mother was giving her a disapproving stare.

"Today's your first team meeting right?" Mebuki asked. Sakura nodded, causing her mother to sigh. "Make sure you don't do anything to annoy your teacher. You'll need him to help you as much as possible."

Sakura felt her eyebrow twitch in annoyance. What was that supposed to mean? Inner Sakura was raging in her head.

"Right..." Was all Sakura said as she picked up an apple and walked out the kitchen.

"Wait, Sakura!" She turned back to look at her father confusedly. "Aren't you going to eat breakfast? You'll need more than just an apple."

Sakura shook her head. "I don't know what the training is like. I might throw up if I eat too much." At her father's displeased pout, she continued. "Plus, I'm leaving early. We aren't supposed to meet up for about 30 minutes, but I wanted to go walk around for a bit first."

Kizashi sighed. "Ok, but you can't make small morning meals like this into a habit. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A growing girl like you needs to eat more!"

Sakura knew he had a point. She would especially need to eat more so she could work on building more muscle. But for now, she just turned back around and waved, making her way to the front door.

"And Sakura," Mebuki called. With her hand on the knob, Sakura sighed and turned back to look at her mother. "Don't go running off with any boys today. I want you home as soon as possible." She narrowed her eyes. "If you disobey, I'll know. The village talks."

Sakura clenched her fist but said, "Yes mother." She opened the door and left before her parents could get in another word. Her mother was really getting on her nerves with all this talk about 'boys' and what not. The woman was acting like Sakura was doing inappropriate things behind her back.

As soon as the fresh village air hit her, she began jogging down the street with a smile on her face. Many of the villagers greeted her warmly, and she waved back.

 _"I wonder if Gon and Killua are home... they probably have their own team meeting, but maybe they haven't left yet..."_ She thought.

She jogged all the way to their apartment building and went up to their apartment to ring the bell. After a few moments of silence, she shrugged and figured they already left. Oh well. She already knew that now that they were on different teams she might not get to see them as often. She would just have to suck it up and deal with it.

She ran back down the stairs and decided to just go to a more secluded area for some peace before she went to the meeting. She still had about 20 minutes before she was supposed to be there.

As she jogged down the street, she looked up at a shop she was passing and noticed it was the Yamanaka Flower Shop. She sighed internally at the memories it brought back of her and a certain blonde haired girl. She almost felt remorseful.

Not paying attention to where she was going, she bumped into someone and abruptly stopped her jog.

"Hey Forehead! Watch where the hell you're going!"

Speak of the devil.

"Oh, it's just you, pig." Sakura let a sly smirk spread across her face. "I should've known I would run into you today. That must be why I felt a bit sick this morning."

Ino glared and fully turned around to face her. Sakura already knew this—how could anyone not—but Ino was very beautiful. Every time she looked at her, Sakura felt her own insecurities rising.

"If you felt sick it's because you looked in the mirror too long." Ino looked down to Sakura's pink arm sleeves. "By the way, I didn't get to say anything about them the other day, but now you wear arm sleeves all of a sudden? If you wanted your style to be more like mine, you should've just said so. I would've given you some hand-me-downs." Ino looked back up at her face. "Ponytail too? Wow, I must be your role model. Too bad your billboard brow kills the look."

Sakura's eye twitched. "Look, I don't have time right now." She began walking past Ino. "I have a team meeting soon and I'm not wasting my free time on you."

"All your time might as well be free time," Ino commented. "Since you're not actually a ninja."

Sakura stopped in her tracks. "...What?"

Ino smirked. "You're a civilian playing pretend, Sakura. You've always been and everybody knows it. You've always been good at tests, but you never did much in the practical side of things." She flipped her hair. "I understand you want to be close to Sasuke-kun, but this is just sad. Don't let those two new friends of yours put a battery in your back."

Sakura said nothing for a while before she finally turned back to Ino with a laugh. "That's funny coming from you. You might be in a clan, but you're more concerned about your hair and makeup than being a ninja. And _everyone_ knows it." She held up two fingers with a mocking smirk. "If you can show me two clan jutsu, I'll give you some points." She turned her back on the shocked Ino. "Anyways, later Pig. Places to go, training to do. You wouldn't know about that though."

With that, she ran off, ignoring the pissed off Ino yelling at her. As much as she normally didn't like direct conflict with Ino, that felt good. She felt like she stood up for herself more.

Seeing that she only had a few minutes to get to the meeting place, she decided to just go straight there.

She cut through a forest to make it there quicker. She doubted Kakashi would be there this early anyway, but she always liked being punctual.

As she came across the clearing where the Memorial Stone was, she stopped in her tracks.

Standing right before the stone was the man himself, Kakashi. His back was turned to her as he motionlessly faced the stone, no doubt mourning people who died.

Sakura felt a twinge of empathy for the man. Who had he lost, she wondered? Family? A friend? She didn't know, and she doubted the man would tell her.

After a few minutes of waiting to see if he would leave, Sakura turned and was about to go a different route before she heard his voice call out.

"Goodmorning, Sakura-chan."

Sakura flinched and turned back. The man still wasn't facing her, but yet knew she was there. Even if he noticed a presence, how did he know exactly who it was?

"Goodmorning Sensei," She greeted, walking out from the forest and towards him.

He turned around and gave his signature eye-smile. "Did you guys get impatient and decide to split up looking for me?"

Sakura looked at him in confusion. "Uh, no. I was just on my way to the team meeting and decided to cut through the forest to get there quicker. It isn't time to meet for about ten more minutes, so I don't know if those two are there yet.

Kakashi hummed and turned back around.

Sakura narrowed her eyes as a question came to her mind. "Sensei... how long have you been here?" The fact that he thought the team meeting had started a while ago and figured they got impatient enough to search for him implies that he lost track of time.

The man tilted his head in thought. "A few hours, not sure how many though." He paused and Sakura contemplated what to say before he spoke again. "I'm at peace here."

Not knowing what else to say, Sakura asked, "Well... are you coming to the meeting?"

"In a while," he said. "There's something I have to go do."

Swallowing her slight annoyance, Sakura asked, "Do you want to postpone the meeting? Or should we do something while we wait?"

Kakashi turned to her and shrugged. "I figured I'd just leave it up to you guys to figure out what to do when I'm not there."

"But you're supposed to be our sensei..." She knew this wasn't the academy, but weren't jounin instructors still supposed to teach them?

"Yeah, but you guys should be old enough to have ideas of what to do. You've been in the academy for years, I'm sure you have ideas." He looked up in thought before adding, "Think of it as team-bonding time. If I'm not there, you three will probably be able to bond more."

Somehow, Sakura doubted that. Sasuke would no doubt get irritated at the absence of their sensei and will probably refuse to do anything with her and Naruto.

"But what if we're training incorrectly?" Sakura asked. "For example, if we're sparring and our taijutsu form is bad. Or if we're practicing a jutsu incorrectly. Who'll correct it? We'll be reinforcing bad habits."

Kakashi's eye focused on her more. "Hmm, smart girl. You can focus on taijutsu, ninjutsu and things like that when I'm around. For now, you can just run laps and do physical training. Maybe even those chakra control exercises you learned in the academy or team-building exercises."

Sakura's eye twitched. Why did she get the feeling that this man just didn't want to teach? "Ok, but wouldn't it be better if you actually gave us a _training regimen_ first? You know, because you're supposed to be our _sensei_? That way we can stick to it even when you're not _around_?" She asked, voice raised slightly in annoyance.

There was a brief pause where Kakashi just stared at her intently. She wondered if she had already disobeyed her mother and pissed off her teacher on the first day.

"I was hoping you kids would take your training mostly into your own hands, especially Sasuke. It isn't good to rely on others for your own progress."

Sakura looked at him incredulously. Does he even hear himself? He's their sensei!

 _ **"Does this bastard even know how to teach?!"**_ Inner Sakura demanded.

 _"Good question!"_

Kakashi sighed. "Look, Haruno, this is my first time dealing with genin. I'm used to working with shinobi that take their training into their own hands. I'll train you, but I'm not going to spoon feed you. Now, I'm sorry, but I have something to do." He began walking off. "I'll be there soon." He disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

...

 _ **"Yeah... Is it to late to sign up for a new sensei?"**_

 _"Just a bit."_

After sighing and running through the forest for a few minutes, she ended up at the bridge they agreed to meet at. She saw Naruto and Sasuke already there. Naruto was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed and forming a hand seal, while Sasuke was leaning on the railing staring at the river.

As she got closer, Naruto noticed her and waved with a smile.

"Morning Sakura-chan!"

Sakura smiled back. "Morning. Sorry I'm a bit late."

Naruto laughed and shook his head. "Nah, you weren't really late. Not like it matters, Kaka-sensei isn't here yet. We could come two hours from now and he probably still won't be here." Despite how annoying that sounded, Naruto didn't seem too upset about it.

Sakura sighed and decided to change the subject. "Yeah... but what were you doing just now?" When Naruto looked at her questioningly, Sakura continued. "I saw you with your eyes closed and making the _'Ram'_ hand seal. You seemed really concentrated. Were you practicing chakra control?"

Naruto's eyes lit up in understanding but he shook his head. "Nah." He turned away and huffed. "It's this jutsu I learned about the same day as the shadow clone jutsu. Making shadow clones were easy, but I still can't get this one down completely."

Now Sakura was curious. "What's the jutsu?"

"I think in the scroll it said 'True Transformation Jutsu'..." Before Sakura had a chance to ask 'what scroll?', the boy continued. "It's like the transformation jutsu, but it's more than just changing how I look. How do I explain it..."

Sakura looked at him thoughtfully. "You mean you can change more than just how you appear? You can change your body's properties too?"

Naruto looked unsure. "I think so. It said something like that in the scroll... My thoughts from that night are still fuzzy..."

Sakura remembered the side-affects of the shadow clone jutsu. "Isn't that the same night you told me you made too many clones at once and passed out afterward?" Naruto nodded. "That's probably why. Since you gain the memories of so many clones, it probably messes with your own memory. That's dangerous, Naruto."

Naruto huffed. "Yeah... maybe I bit off more than I could chew. I gotta avoid making 100 clones at once from now on..." He shook his head. "But anyway... I can kinda do the True Transformation jutsu... because I did it during the test when I transformed into you. But, for now, I can only really transform into people. I've tried transforming into other things and it's not working."

"What would've been the difference if you just used the regular transformation jutsu to turn into me?" Sakura asked curiously.

Naruto hummed. "Remember yesterday after the test when I was talking to Kaka-sensei? And you and Sasuke were walking a little bit behind us?" She nodded. "He asked me if that was a True Transformation Jutsu I used and I asked how he knew. He said because if it was a regular one, my chakra signature and smell wouldn't have changed. He said that my mind must've remembered your chakra signature and smell so it copied it when I activated the jutsu."

 _"Chakra Signatures..."_ Sakura thought. _"That must've been how he sensed my presence in the clearing just now... Everybody has a distinct chakra signature!"_ She was beginning to notice that they only really taught the basics in the academy. She would have to start going to the library to learn more. Maybe drag Naruto there with her too.

On the outside, she grinned at Naruto. "That's really cool! You'll have to teach me after you get it down!"

Naruto blushed at the attention but then got a thoughtful look. "I don't know Sakura-chan... This justu is from the same scroll where I learned the shadow clone jutsu… so it must have some type of crazy drawbacks. Plus it takes a lot of chakra too."

"Well, tell me whenever you learn what the drawbacks are. If I don't like them, then you can have the damn jutsu." They both shared a laugh and looked over at Sasuke, who had turned to face them. "Something wrong, Sasuke-kun?"

"Are we just going to sit here like idiots for hours again?" He asked in annoyance.

"Aw come on Sasuke! Don't kill the mood right now!" Naruto said. "Kaka-sensei will probably be here in a while!"

Sakura nodded. "He could be doing something." He did say he was going to go do something, but Sakura felt like it was just an excuse to get away from her.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "And? We could be doing something. Training." He clenched his fist. "I don't know what type of game he's playing, but my time isn't to be wasted."

Before Naruto could say something, Sakura broke in with a smile. "So let's do some of our own training!" She turned to Naruto. "Naruto, wanna go for a run around the clearing? Twelve laps? We can get faster this way." Maybe they could do push-ups and other types of training later.

He looked at her in astonishment for a moment before grinning happily and standing up. "You bet! I won't go easy on you Sakura-chan!" He was about to run off when he turned to Sasuke. "Hey, Sasuke. You coming?"

Sasuke said nothing and just turned back to look at the river.

Naruto huffed. "Of course not..."

Sakura patted him on the shoulder. "He's just in a bit of a bad mood right now Naruto. Let's race without him for now."

Naruto smiled and nodded. "You got it."

"On your mark..." Sakura started, bending her knees.

Naruto got into a crouched position. "Get set..."

"GO!"

They took off from the bridge while their raven-haired teammate watched them go.

* * *

"Goodmorning Kite, Bisky!"

Killua looked at Gon. He appeared to be back to his usual cheery self, if not even more cheery. Did he have a good dream or something?

"Goodmorning Gon, Killua," Kite said. "Did you boys sleep well?" He looked particularly at Gon.

Gon nodded with a smile and Kite turned to Killua who nodded too.

"As you know, today is the first official day we're together as a team. The chunin exams are in a few months and this team is required to complete a few C and D rank missions in order to qualify. On days like today where we don't have any mission, we'll train."

"So what are we doing today?" Killua asked.

"The same thing you boys did yesterday," Bisky chimed in, a wicked smirk appearing on her face. "You're going to maintain your Ren for as long as possible. When you get tired, you'll spar with me until you drop. Then I'll fix you back up and we start all over. Understand?"

Killua cringed but Gon just laughed and agreed happily. At this point, Killua had to acknowledge that his friend was actually insane.

"This won't be an every training day thing though. You two also need time to work on your Genjutsu dispelling, Nen techniques, Hatsus, and any other individual skills you may want to work on," Bisky said. "But either way, I need you two to be absolute savages by the time of the exams. I heard from the Hokage that you aren't the only skilled genin out there that will be participating." She looked at them intently. "You need to train hard to make sure you solidify your chances. Get too cocky and you might get your asses kicked. So get to it!"

"Osu!" They said, activating their ren.

Kite walked to the other side of the clearing and sat against a tree to watch the boys. Bisky came to stand next to him, pulling out an inappropriate magazine. She began reading with a blush and a perverted smile on her face.

"Biscuit-san... really?"

She looked at him and giggled. "Don't mind me. Just passing the time." After a few moments of silence, she spoke again. "Good job, by the way."

"What do you mean?" Kite asked, even though he had a good idea of what she meant.

"With Gon. He's back to normal. Actually, I'd even say he's better!" She gave him a sidelong look. "Don't think I didn't sense you on the roof with him last night."

Kite should've known he couldn't put anything past Biscuit. "He just needed to get things off his chest I guess. He tries to deal with things alone too much. He's too young for that."

At least Gon has people around him that care for him. When Kite was that age, he didn't have any choice but to keep things to himself because he had been on his own. It wasn't until he met Ging that his life changed for the better.

He smiled slightly at his memories. Perhaps Ging intended for Kite to be for Gon what Ging was for him.

Biscuit sighed. "I'm just ashamed that I didn't notice earlier. Then again, he'd never shown signs till now. I guess back on Greed Island he was always busy so he didn't have time to think too much. Makes you wonder exactly how much he keeps to himself..." She mused. "I'm sure we'll be able to tell whenever something is bothering him though."

"And when something is bothering him... I expect I'll be the one that has to talk to him again..." Kite muttered.

"Ah, so _do_ you understand then!" She chirped, patting his shoulder proudly. "From now on, your new job is keeping those boys happy! Repeat after me: A happy Gon equals a happy Killua!" She cackled loudly, causing Gon and Killua to look at her strangely from across the clearing.

Kite pulled his hat over his eyes and turned away. "When did I become a child therapist...?"

Bisky laughed at his expense.

* * *

Back at the bridge, Sasuke was watching his teammates run laps in silence. He was getting increasingly annoyed as he watched them and their sensei still had not shown up. What was the point of even coming to these damn meetings?

When Sasuke got home the night before, he felt two emotions running through him. Curiosity and anger. Curiosity because he was interested to see how this team would work out. But anger because Kakashi and the others had treated him like an incompetent child, like he was a rotten egg who would drag down the whole team. Kakashi may have been the main one, but Naruto and Sakura also treated him like he needed to fix himself. On top of that, he felt like a fool when Sakura realized the meaning of the test before him.

Yet now here he was, watching the two running laps happily and trying to outdo each other when their sensei was almost an hour late. He was the incompetent one? These two didn't have a care in the world, and clearly their sensei wasn't that on top of things either. They were wasting Sasuke's _time_.

Somehow, in a day's time, his team managed to make him feel like a fool but yet the only one with sense. They're driving him over the edge.

Sasuke watched as Naruto lapped Sakura once again, putting him two laps in the lead. He acknowledged that Naruto was quite a bit faster than Sakura when it came to running and also had much more stamina, but he was still slower than Sasuke. If these two were only on this level... they don't hold a candle to him.

But yet, they looked like they were having a good time. They were smiling and laughing, and it seemed like—

So what? Having a good time won't make Sasuke stronger. He didn't get as skilled as he did by laughing like an idiot.

He clenched his fist. That's another thing. Kakashi completely ignored his own superior skills and potential in order to focus on these two, just because they were more willing to work as a team. And yet Kakashi can't even show up on time to a _team_ meeting.

The irony.

Sasuke was rookie of the year. The last Uchiha in Konoha. An avenger. He didn't have time for these games. He was already above these two. But he needed to get stronger. Much stronger.

He scowled watching Naruto cheer Sakura on as she finished her last lap.

The girl was sweating profusely and panting harshly, struggling to finish the race.

She was slow. Too slow. She and the blonde idiot would slow Sasuke down.

He.

Could.

Not.

Have.

That.

"Sorry Sakura-chan! I told you I wouldn't go easy on ya!" Naruto said with a laugh as the two walked over to Sasuke.

Sakura, panting heavily, gave a small smile. "You're amazing Naruto. It's like... you never run out of gas."

The boy gave a proud grin and turned to Sasuke. "Enjoy the show, bastard?"

Sasuke scoffed and turned away. At that moment, he saw something that pissed him off.

Kakashi was sitting on top the gate of the bridge just reading casually.

...How long had he been there?

"Good job you guys. Well, two of you, anyway." The man looked pointedly down at Sasuke, who glared back.

"Kaka-sensei!" Naruto said excitedly, running forward towards the gate. "Did you see how good I did?"

Kakashi eye smiled at Naruto. "Yes, I did. You really have never ending energy." He hopped off the gate and turned to Sakura. "Sakura, you're not slow for a genin, but you're not as fast as Naruto yet. However, you did pace yourself much better than he did. If he had regular amounts of stamina, you probably would've beaten him."

Sakura nodded, planning to improve her speed and stamina.

Kakashi turned to Sasuke. "May I ask why you didn't participate?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He didn't like how the man was looking down on him. "They aren't faster than me. Why would I waste my time and energy?" He put his hands in his pockets. "How about you actually show up on time and train us?"

Sakura looked nervously between Sasuke and Kakashi while Naruto narrowed his eyes and spoke calmly. "Training is training, idiot. The more you run, the faster you get. The more push-ups you do, the stronger you get. Common sense." When Sasuke turned to glare at him, he continued. "Don't try to put all the blame on sensei. If you want to be a skilled ninja, don't you think getting faster is part of that? Or are you just too good to work on the basics? Last time I checked, you're still a genin like us."

Kakashi and Sakura looked at Naruto in slight surprise. He'd shifted tones so quickly—he didn't even raise his voice to get his point across.

Sasuke gritted his teeth and turned away from them, narrowing his eyes at the water.

Naruto had a point. He doesn't remember the boy ever saying something that sensible, especially not in that tone of voice.

Not to mention he used some clever strategies during the bell test.

Sasuke's starting to think the foolish personality is just an act—at least partially.

First Sakura starts acting different, now Naruto too. Where were these sides of them all throughout the academy? Was the fangirl and the idiot just routines they acted out? He didn't know.

But regardless, they were all starting to grate on his nerves.

"Now Naruto, Sasuke does have a point. I wasn't here so he saw no reason to participate." Kakashi turned to Sasuke and eye smiled. "So from now on, if I'm not here, it's mandatory that all of you run laps around the area. If I find out any of you didn't participate you'll be punished." Sasuke felt his blood boil. "Punishments may include severe physical training, a sparring match with me, or even just me not training you at all for a week. Depends on my mood."

Sakura looked nervously at Sasuke. She hoped his temper wouldn't explode.

Naruto on the other hand, just held out a fist to Kakashi. "Don't worry sensei! I'll make sure we all run whenever you're not here! Promise!" He patiently held out his fist waiting for Kakashi to do the same. Kakashi awkwardly gave him a fist bump and the boy beamed at him.

Now Naruto was back to this. Sasuke glanced back at him and couldn't tell if the boy was acting right now. It didn't seem like it, he even seemed genuinely happy as he spoke excitedly to their slightly uncomfortable sensei.

Still, Sasuke was sure of it now.

There's more to Naruto than he thought. Just like there was more to Sakura than he thought.

That day a few weeks ago, when Sakura followed him to the weapons shop and he had told her to improve herself, he never expected for her to change this much personality-wise. He thought she would stay her fangirl-self, but at least be good enough to run away so she didn't become a burden.

But somehow she had become more openminded and had a less childish outlook.

Somehow she managed to become friends with Naruto, the boy she used to get annoyed by.

Somehow she had befriended two "homeschooled genin" and apparently trained with them on her down time.

Somehow had started being around Shikamaru and Choji, even sitting with them at lunch the last few weeks in the academy.

Somehow she exceeded his expectations with the ninja wire and skillfully placed a series of traps alongside Naruto during the bell test.

Somehow she figured out the point of the bell test and became the reason he passed.

Somehow she had stopped treating him like he was the center of her world, and now he was reduced to a teammate she's trying to connect with but is a bit wary of.

Somehow. In just a few weeks.

He clenched his fist. No way all of this was brand new.

Was he just bad at reading people? Memories of Itachi before and after the massacre flashed across his mind but he pushed them away.

Sakura, holding back a giggle at Naruto's behavior, changed the subject. "Anyway sensei, what are we doing today?"

Kakashi hummed. "Well, I thought it over, and at first I was going to have you guys do physical training. But since you two just finished a race, I'll save that for another time." He looked at them. "For now, let's go over some team formations."

"Team formations?" Naruto asked. "You mean tactics? Like what we did during the test?"

"Yes, Naruto," Kakashi said. "We'll have to learn each other's individual skillsets and come up with formations in which to use them in different scenarios. This can draw the line between a group of skilled individuals and a skilled team."

While Naruto started chatting excitedly and Sakura was smiling, Sasuke stared at the river in silence with his back turned to them.

"Will that be a problem, Sasuke?"

Sasuke glared at the water. Of course the man would call on him.

He turned around ready to say something spiteful when he saw Sakura looking at him hopefully and Naruto looking at him with a 'don't screw this up' look.

He refused to be the child in the group.

"No... that's fine."

Kakashi eye smiled.

Naruto looked pleasantly surprised.

Sakura beamed at him.

...And why the hell did all of that make Sasuke feel slightly better?

He forced those thoughts out of his mind and soon enough, they were discussing team formations and tactics with a far friendlier atmosphere than Sasuke was comfortable with.

* * *

"Well, that wraps up training for today boys!"

Killua glared at Bisky. He was convinced this women was the devil. They had been training nonstop since morning and the sun was now almost completely down. Him and Gon fell unconscious three times today and each time she just used her hatsu to fix them back up again. Pure evil.

"Bisky," Gon started, wiping sweat from his brow. "What are we doing tomorrow?"

Bisky just shrugged and pointed to Kite, who was sitting against a tree with his eyes closed. "Ask him. He's the squad leader."

Kite opened his eyes. "The Hokage will probably have D-rank mission for us tomorrow."

Killua rolled his eyes. "Great. So what are we doing? Babysitting?"

Kite had told them about how D-rank missions were the same as regular chores. It was safe to say none of them were too thrilled at having to do them.

"Be careful what you wish for Killua," Bisky commented. Killua just huffed while Gon laughed a bit.

"The chunin exams take place in about 4 months. In that time, we need a total of at least 20 D-ranks and 5 C-ranks completed for you to be eligible for them. Normally, there's no real mission requirement, but since you're foreigners, the council and village elders aren't too keen on treating you just like regular Konoha shinobi. There's a lack of trust."

"Well that's just great," Killua huffed.

Kite nodded in agreement. "We should be able to breeze through all the missions easily enough. Some of them could prove time consuming though. Even spanning over a couple of days for one mission."

Gon tilted his head. "We'll be really busy then. We won't have as much time to train as I thought."

Bisky shook her head. "No, you won't. This isn't like on Greed Island when we have a lot of time to focus solely on Nen training," She said. "On top of completing the missions, we'll have to go through other types of training such as Genjutsu dispelling and improving your fighting styles." She casually twirled a kunai around her finger.

Kite nodded. "Which is why Bisky pushed you so hard with your Ren training. You won't be able to do this that often. Every moment of training counts."

Killua sighed. That meant that everyday they _did_ have Ren training, it would be hell.

"Well, you boys shouldn't worry about that now," Bisky said, patting them on the shoulders. "Go home and get some rest. I'm going to go to the store and buy some groceries for you. We'll meet up here again at the same time tomorrow morning. Be ready to work." She laughed when she saw Killua giving her the evil eye.

Gon nodded with a smile. "Ok. Thanks Bisky," He turned to Kite. "See you tomorrow, Kite."

Kite gave him a small smile and a head nod.

Killua gave a slight wave as he and Gon turned around and began walking away.

"Man, I'm beat," Killua sighed. "The old hag is a real witch."

Gon laughed. "Yeah, even the Ren training back on Greed Island wasn't this much. She's really trying to make us stronger."

Killua watched as Gon walked forward with a spring in his step. He contemplated what to say. "So Gon…"

"Hm?"

"You're ok now right?"

Gon turned to him curiously. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm really hungry though, we should go get something to eat."

Killua nodded. "Yeah sure, let's go to BBQ again. But that isn't what I meant." At Gon's inquisitive gaze, he continued. "Ever since the test with Kite, you've been acting a bit... down. But today you seemed better than normal."

Gon turned away with a small smile. "Yeah, everything's okay Killua. I was a little frustrated, that's all." He clenched his fists and made eye contact with Killua. "But from now on, I won't let anything get me down! I'll get stronger and keep moving!"

Killua studied Gon's shining eyes for a moment and concluded that he really was okay. He smirked back. "Oh yeaahh? Well you won't leave me behind, Gon!" He said, causing Gon to laugh. "As a matter of fact, whoever does worse on the mission tomorrow has to do a thousand push-ups!"

Gon's laughter filled the area as the two boys made their way down the village street.

"You're on, Killua!"

* * *

It was dark out by the time Sasuke was making his way home. As he walked down a dead street leading towards the Uchiha complex, he paid no mind to the night air that swept across his face nor the tree leaves that fell down around him. He was too lost in his thoughts.

 _"Ridiculous,"_ He thought. _"Absolutely ridiculous."_

He was more confused than he'd been in a long time.

Just two days ago, he had been hating the idea of working in a team and refused to work with his teammates outside of the times that were necessary.

But then he ended up begrudgingly working with them during the exam.

Then he got home that night and felt annoyed by the way Kakashi and the others looked at him, like he was the bad apple in the group.

That annoyance travelled over to this morning, and he was more or less back to not wanting to be on a team.

...Up until they all directed positive reactions to him for the first time. Somehow, that actually made him feel happy.

It was the closest thing he's felt to his family ever since the massacre.

And isn't that just foolishness?

He's annoyed by Naruto.

He's only recently learned to tolerate Sakura.

He can't stand Kakashi.

But somehow these three annoyances managed to make him feel something remotely close to what he felt for his family?

Disrespectful.

Unthinkable.

And on top of that, nonsensical.

This is why he needs to be alone, because he doesn't need to be plagued by foolishness like this.

He can't tell if some of Naruto's idiocy left the boy and rubbed off on him, or if he was just lacking in resolve.

He doesn't need anything holding him back like these... feelings he's starting to have.

Not to mention, the feelings only got stronger throughout the day.

As they went over team formations and began to put them into practice, he was actually having fun. He hasn't had fun in _years_ , hasn't allowed himself to, but yet he was having fun.

There was even a few times where Naruto screwed up a team drill and he had to force himself not to smile or laugh.

And isn't that just _foolishness_?

When was the last time he'd gotten the urge to _smile_ or _laugh_?

This was unbecoming of him.

He needs hate. Hate gives him the resolve to get stronger. That's how it's been for years, and it's exactly why he steers clear of everyone else.

He doesn't need anyone else.

He doesn't need any distractions.

Yeah, that's all. He'll just play along with them to make things go smoothly.

He'll learn everything he can from Kakashi and then once he becomes a higher rank he'll move on and get stronger on his own. Naruto and Sakura weren't of importance.

He clenched his fist in his pockets and steeled his gaze.

He's going to kill Itachi, no matter the cost.

He won't fall behind because of these weak emotions. Or because of the three fools.

"Well, that's an intense aura if I've ever felt one."

Sasuke tensed and felt anger pool in his stomach. What a coincidence.

"What do you want Kakashi?"

Kakashi laughed from behind him and walked a bit closer. "Is that any way to talk to your sensei?" When Sasuke didn't reply, he continued. "I didn't come to anger you or anything. I just came to congratulate you. You did well in training today, and you worked smoothly with Naruto and Sakura. That's a huge attitude improvement in a short amount of time. I'm proud of you." He paused for a moment before adding, "I figured you would get mad if I brought this up in front of those two, so I decided to talk to you in private."

"Attitude improvement?" Sasuke asked in a low voice. He turned to face Kakashi with a glare. "Don't get it twisted, Kakashi. Nothing's changed. I played along so I won't be hindered by you placing importance on teamwork over my own growth. I still can't stand the three of you."

Kakashi looked unimpressed. "Oh, is that so?" He asked. "Because I could've sworn I saw you crack a smile or two during training, even though you tried to hide them."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly. He saw that?

He quickly put on a blank face and turned away. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about. As if I could enjoy any time I spent with you three."

Kakashi chuckled a bit and Sasuke turned back to glare at him. "It sounds like you're trying to convince yourself," Kakashi commented. "If you can't even do something as simple as stay true to yourself, do you really think you have what it takes to kill Itachi?"

Kakashi watched as Sasuke's face slowly twisted in rage. "What... did you just say?" The boy asked quietly.

Okay, maybe Kakashi should've known that was a touchy subject and maybe he shouldn't have brought it up. He was lacking in tact.

He put his hands up in a placating gesture. "Look Sasuke, I could've worded that better, but I didn't mean to belittle you. I just meant that your mindset could use some work if you intend—"

"Who the hell are you to tell me what I need to do? What the hell do you know?!"

Kakashi sighed. Oh boy. He really didn't know how to deal with kids, let alone guide or teach them.

Sasuke was standing a few feet away from him, body shaking with barely contained rage.

Kakashi knew that the boy clearly had some deep-rooted anger issues. Mental health issues weren't uncommon among experienced shinobi, but this boy had just barely gotten started. Kakashi himself could relate.

Shinobi are put under evaluations for psychological issues every six months, and academy students are required to undergo one before becoming genin. Sasuke and the other genin took their evaluations two days ago in the academy, and somehow Sasuke passed his. He had no doubt in his mind it was because the boy was the last Uchiha, and the village elders wanted him within their ranks no matter what because he could become a powerful weapon. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

He considered the possibility of convincing the boy to go to a psychologist on his own, but he doubted that Sasuke would want to talk about his problems. His pride simply wouldn't allow it. Kakashi would just have to deal with him far more carefully than Naruto and Sakura.

He really didn't sign up for this.

"Sasuke, I'm sorry about what I said. You're right, I have no idea what you're going through and have no right to tell you what to do." He kept his hands up in a calming gesture, and saw Sasuke start to relax slightly. "I'm just worried about you. I've known people who were lead to their end by a similar mindset to yours. I'm not saying there's something wrong with you, per se, but just the way you go about things. There's always room for improvement."

Sasuke calmed down a bit more at that and scoffed. "Thanks, but I don't need your concern nor anybody else's." He turned around and started walking away.

Kakashi sighed. "If you feel that way, I can't change your mind." He looked up. "But no one is perfect Sasuke. Not even you." When Sasuke stopped walking, he continued. "If shinobi were meant to do things on their own, there would be no point putting them in teams. Why do you think ninja squads exist?" He walked closer. "To help each other grow, to support each other, to make up for each other's flaws and weaknesses. Sasuke, everybody has weaknesses. If you try to do everything alone, I guarantee that things won't work out for you."

While Kakashi said that, he knew it was a half-truth. If Sasuke continued down this path alone, it's true that the boy would be able to kill Itachi. Because hate drives him forward. But what would become of his mental state? What would his purpose be after that? In Kakashi's eyes, getting revenge and then being broken and empty afterward isn't a good ending for Sasuke's story.

"You're wrong," Sasuke said, turning back to face him. "I know I can kill Itachi. I just have to stay focused. People are distractions."

He was very single-minded. That was dangerous. Kakashi would have to try and change that.

"But you'd no doubt lose your mind in the process. Solitude isn't a good thing, Sasuke. If you continue down this path, what will happen to y—"

"I don't care what happens to me." Sasuke clenched his fists, glaring at the ground. "...All I care about is making sure that man meets his end. I don't give a damn what happens after. Even if it means the worst for me."

Kakashi was truly sad to hear that. The kid was worse than he thought. "…If you sacrifice everything to kill Itachi, who will restore the Uchiha clan?" Sasuke flinched a bit at that, and some of his resolve faded. "You realize I could put you on probation from all ninja activity if I believe you're mentally unstable right? From what you just told me, you could be considered a possible threat to yourself and others."

Sasuke's glare came back in full. "I'm not mentally unstable, and how the hell am I a threat to others?! I just want to be left alo—"

"I know, Sasuke. I know," Kakashi said. "But if you continue down this path, you'll become more and more corrupted. Trust me, I've seen this before. You have a very dangerous mindset. Dangerous enough that you might have to be removed from the active force."

In all honesty, just because Sasuke was the last Uchiha, Kakashi knew that the boy could never truly be removed from the ninja force. Even if he's publicly taken off, behind the scenes ANBU will just pick him up and mold him into a ruthless ninja. Kakashi remembers his old days in ANBU, and how it had almost driven him to insanity.

He didn't want that for Sasuke. He wanted to give the boy a chance at a better life.

He had to stop this before it got worse and it became a repeat of past tragedies.

"Look, I'll be fine. Like I said, I'll work together with them," Sasuke said lowly, looking away. "But I'm not going to play house or whatever the hell it is you want me to do. We're a genin squad, not family."

"You're wrong Sasuke," Kakashi said, making Sasuke look back at him. "Your comrades become your family." When Sasuke rolled his eyes, he continued. "I know you don't want to hear this, but you should cherish your genin teammates. They're the ones you start your ninja career with. You get comfortable with them, grow with them, get support from them, and overall just form a bond that will last a lifetime."

Kakashi looked deep into Sasuke's skeptical eyes. "If you let them in, they'll always be there for you. They'll be there when you need training partners. They'll be there when you're promoted to chunin and jounin. They'll be there when you're ready for your revenge. Hell, they'll even be there when you're older and start your own family or when you... start teaching your own genin." Thoughts of his own genin teammates not being here right now made his chest clench painfully.

Sasuke looked down and appeared to be having an internal conflict. It seemed like the words were reaching him.

Kakashi's eye was slightly downcast. "You should cherish your genin teammates, not everybody has them for life. You never know when you'll lose them. Forever."

"Lose...?" Sasuke scoffed, his eyes shadowed. "I know all about loss already."

Kakashi sighed. "You're not the only one." When Sasuke looked up at him, he changed the subject. "The point is, your teammates are people you can depend on, and they'll be there with you through thick and thin. Through the toughest of times. They won't hold you back Sasuke. They'll give you the strength to keep moving forward." When Sasuke's eyes widened, he added, "But only if you let them. It's all up to you Sasuke. _You_ have to let them in."

There was silence for a few moments where Sasuke seemed to be deep in thought.

"...So I can end up watching more people I care about die?" Sasuke asked quietly, turning around. "Sounds like a fool's game to me."

Kakashi watched the boy's back in silence before speaking again.

"Sasuke… I can't promise that won't happen. Nothing is certain. But what I will say," he paused. "...is that I was a lot like you when I was younger." Sasuke turned back to look at him in disbelief. "I'm serious. I refused to get close to my teammates or anyone for that matter. I was too focused on myself and my own issues. But..." He took a breath. "...It only took me losing them for my mind to change." He looked down. "Now, I would do anything in the world to have them back."

Sasuke looked at him quietly in understanding, no doubt thinking about his own family.

Kakashi met his eyes. "You don't want this type of regret hanging over you Sasuke. You have enough on your plate as it is. If you let them in now, you can all grow together and get strong enough to protect yourselves and each other. But if you distance yourself, you'll be too far away to help when trouble comes."

Sasuke flinched and rocked back on his feet slightly. The words must've hit him hard.

"I'm not telling you to bring them gift baskets to every training session or something," Kakashi said. "Just... try not to hold yourself back or push them away. Don't be opposed to the idea of getting acquainted with them. If for nothing else, for the fact that they'll actually treat you like a real person instead of worshipping you like the Uchiha God I'm sure your academy teachers praised you as. They're people you can actually depend on. Have they not already proved themselves? Are they not different from what you thought of them at first?"

After a long while of silence, Sasuke closed his eyes and smirked. "Fine." He promptly turned and began walking away.

 _"Wait, that's it? Just like that?"_ Kakashi wondered.

He considered if there was anything else to say and added, "Uh, remember Sasuke! Same time and place tomorrow!"

Sasuke replied by half-heartedly waving a hand and continuing his walk.

Kakashi knew he reached the boy, but didn't know to what extent. Hopefully Sasuke fully understood the importance of what he said and took heed.

He sighed. He really wasn't good at this teaching thing.

* * *

Back at the Hunter Association building, an old man was neglecting his paperwork in favor of hopping around his office and bouncing a ball around.

"Netero-san... you still need to fill out this docum—" Beans had to dodge the ball thrown at him. "Netero-san!"

"Oh, come on Beans!" Netero said, balancing himself on one hand. "That's too boring for me right now! Let an old man have his fun!"

Beans sighed. He observed the man, clad in a black tank top and martial arts gi pants, hop around the room like an energetic child.

He just shook his head and made his way to the door. "Fine, but please try and complete it when you're done what you're doing!" Netero gave him a thumbs up. The green man sighed once again and exited the office.

Right at that moment, Netero's phone began to ring.

The old man came out of a handstand and looked at the phone curiously. The main person who usually calls him was Beans, and he had just left. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it said " _unknown_." Who could it be?

Answering out of mild interest, he said, "This is Netero speaking, who's calling?"

Silence over the line. Netero didn't bother repeating himself, he just kept waiting and listening.

After a few moments, he was graced with a familiar voice.

"...Netero."

Netero's eyebrows rose high. "Zeno? This is a surprise. I haven't spoken to you in a long time. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We believe Killua and his friend Gon somehow ended up in the Shinobi Nations."

At that, Netero nearly dropped his phone. "What?" He had stopped keeping tabs on the boys a while ago, but last he heard of them was that they both beat Ging's game Greed Island.

"You heard me," Zeno sighed. "Illumi had a tracker needle on Killua, but he lost the ability to sense it. Silva and I told Illumi that it's possible that Killua was in the Dark Continent, and that the atmosphere there was messing with his ability to sense Kil."

"So you just told Illumi that because you didn't want to explain the truth, right?" Netero asked mischievously.

Zeno said nothing for a few moments before sighing. "Yes. We plan on telling him, just not right now. We don't know how he'll take the information and it might cause him to act unexpectedly. He's overprotective of Kil, almost like his mother."

Netero nodded, even though the man couldn't see him. "So you believe Killua and Gon somehow bypassed the Dark Continent and went straight to the Shinobi Nations? Normally, you have to go through the Dark Continent to make it there."

"Yes, but we believe they were transported there by Nen. Nen that is probably from someone involved with Greed Island."

Netero's mind instantly travelled to Ging.

 _"Of course, that makes sense. Ging often goes to the Shinobi Nations whenever he goes missing, so he probably intended for Gon to come there to find them. Killua was just collateral,_ " Netero thought. He knew he shouldn't tell Zeno this, lest the man get annoyed at the two Freecs.

"So why are you telling me this?" Netero asked. "You've been there before, I'm sure you still have an idea of how to get there and would be able to find Kil once you're there."

"Yes, but I've only been there once. You've went there multiple times and stayed there for far longer amounts of time than I have, Netero. You practically lived there at one point," Zeno said. "You know the in and outs of that place, and I deemed it necessary to request something from you."

"And that is?" Netero asked, already seeing where this was going.

"To send a team of Hunters there to regain Kil," Zeno said. "Getting through the Dark Continent is difficult enough, and it's a very dangerous voyage. But I also have not been there in many years and the time spent there the last time resulted in Kikyo giving birth to that demon child locked in the basement. May I also mention I only got to the Shinobi Nations by accident?" Netero hummed at this, but Zeno kept talking. "I will not lead my family to their doom."

"So instead, you want me to send Hunters there with my guidance so that if anything goes wrong, they'll be the ones that die."

"Good to see we're on the same page. As for what you get out of this, the Zoldyck family will pay the Hunter Association a large sum of money, and we'll even throw in a free favor for you. Any other payment you may want, as long as it's reasonable, is negotiable. What do you say?"

Netero rubbed his chin, one person in particular coming to mind that would be suitable for the mission.

"Ok. I think I can do that," Netero said. "But this can't be an immediate thing. I'll have to take time gathering members for this team and we'll have to go through plans to ensure the mission is a success. The team probably won't head out for about a month or two."

"That's fine. Kil shouldn't be in any immediate danger right now, I'm sure he's found some place to reside. As long as we get him back, I'll be patient." Zeno replied.

A question popped into Netero's mind. "And what will the Zoldyck family be doing during all of this?" He asked curiously. "Surely you won't just sit back while your heir is out of your reach? And wouldn't Illumi be valuable for finding Killua faster?"

"I never said we wouldn't be going, Netero," Zeno said, and Netero could hear the grin on the man's face. "I just said to send some Hunters to go ahead of us." There was a pause before the man added, "What I had in mind was that if they don't return within a certain amount of time, or if we somehow confirm their deaths, you could personally lead me, Silva and Illumi there yourself. I'm sure you've been itching for entertainment anyway."

Netero hummed. "What about your grandfather, Maha? It's been a long time since I've seen him."

He heard Zeno scoff. "He doesn't do too much nowadays, but maybe we could convince him to come too. After all, he hasn't been to the Shinobi Nations in a long time." He paused before continuing. "In fact, the last time he was there was when you two fought each other."

Netero laughed heartily. "Good times."

Zeno scoffed. "Anyway, what do you say?" he asked.

Netero felt himself grinning. Things were finally getting interesting.

"Deal."

* * *

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

A group of mafia security guards were in the room shouting at each other, trying to figure out who could be calling their boss's cellphone.

A blonde haired young man clad in a black suit walked into the room to see what all the commotion was for.

"Boss! This phone call is coming from an unidentified ID! We don't know who it is!"

The blonde sighed and rubbed his temples before walking over to the phone. He must've forgotten his cellphone in this room, but he wished it had been on silent.

Not in the mood to play games, he swiftly picked up the phone and spoke in a clipped tone. "State your business."

 _"Oh dear... is that any way to greet an old friend? Kurapika_ 🎔? _"_

Kurapika's eyes widened at the familiar voice and he glared at the phone. "Why do you still have my number?"

 _"Oh, no reason... I just thought it'd be nice to have your number in case I ever wanted to... play_ 🎔 _."_

Kurapika clenched the phone tightly. "I'm not in the mood for games Hisoka. Goodby—"

 _"Chrollo."_ At that, Kurapika stopped. _"I'm sure you felt it, but in case you didn't, Chrollo got your Nen purged from him. A while ago, actually_ _◇ ."_

Kurapika did know. In fact, it was part of the reason why he had been in such a bad mood lately, despite having gained back so many of his bretheren's eyes.

But he wouldn't let Hisoka know that.

"I don't care."

 _"You're lying 🎔,"_ The clown immediately replied.

Kurapika gritted his teeth. "What does that have to do with me? I don't care about the Troupe right now. I'm focusing on other things."

 _"Oh, but the troupe cares about you_ ◇ _. And now that they have Chrollo back, what's stopping them from storming your cute little mafia hideout right now? Slaying all your associates and stealing all your beloved Scarlet eyes? Don't you think it's just a matter of time before they find you? Hmm_ ◆ _?"_

As much as Kurapika hated to admit it, Hisoka had a point. But he didn't know what the clown was getting at, he never did.

"And why do you care?" Kurapika questioned.

 _"Isn't that what friends are for?"_ Hisoka purred. _"Don't tell me you don't consider me at least a friend now, Kurapika 🎔."_

"I don't."

 _"Not even after that precious night we spent together 🎔?"_

Kurapika held back a disgusted shiver. "I don't know what you're talking about."

 _"The night we had our first date in the abandoned Yorknew amusement park."_ Hisoka let out a moan. _"My favorite memory of us. You looked quite appetizing that day. Such fire in your eyes_ 🎔 _."_

Kurapika would never understand this person. "That wasn't a date, Hisoka. That was me meeting you for information on the Spiders. I still don't consider you a friend, nor do I trust you."

Hisoka hummed. _"How hurtful **Kurapika**_ 🎔 _... You make me cry **scarlet** tears... but I guess we'll just never see **eye** to **eye**_ ◇ _."_ The bad scarlet eye joke annoyed Kurapika, but not more than the clown's amused giggles. _"It's a shame, because the ones you consider friends just happen to be in grave danger right now ◆."_

What the hell did that mean?

"You're talking about Gon, Killua and Leorio?" He questioned. At the hum he heard from Hisoka, he got irritated. "Stop messing around! What did you do to them?"

 _"Oh, me? No... I would **never**_ ◆ _."_ The clown chuckled a bit while Kurapika was clenching and unclenching his hands, letting out an intense aura that was scaring away the others in the room. _"But let's just say Gon and Killua have been missing for a while now. You haven't heard from them... have you?"_

Kurapika didn't speak to them or Leorio in months, but that was mostly because the boys had been in the game so they couldn't call and Kurapika always ignored Leorio's calls. He didn't know what to say to him, and he thought it would be best if Leorio didn't get mixed up with him.

Melody, who had probably heard everything being said, came into the room and looked at Kurapika with concern.

 _"No comment?"_ Hisoka hummed _. "Between you and me, I was in Greed Island with them. The boys, along with their mentor, beat the game about a month ago. And I was there to witness them get caught up in a transportation Nen ability that sent them somewhere unknown."_ Kurapika's eyes widened. _"A little Needleman assassin told me he had placed Nen on Killua to track him wherever he goes, but can no longer sense him. That's because apparently the boys have been sent to the Dark Continent. I'm sure you've heard of it?"_

Kurapika had heard rumors about the Dark Continent, but this made him worried about his friends for the first time in a while. He always figured that they would stay safe as long as he kept his distance from them so they wouldn't get caught up in his problems again.

How foolish he was.

 _"Kurapika? Hello?"_ Hisoka hummed. _"Talk about suh- **eye** -lens(silence) _🎔 _."_

Kurapika took a deep breath. He was one more eye joke/pun away from using judgement chain on the clown the next time he sees him.

"What am I supposed to do? I don't know anything about the Dark Continent and I doubt I'd be much help. Gon and Killua will be fine. They're probably just on another adventure right now."

He was trying to convince himself. From the way Melody was looking at him, he knew that she could tell.

But he didn't care.

Hisoka made a mock noise of surprise. _"Is that **cowardice** coming from you Kurapika? My, how **heartless**. The Kurapika I know wouldn't abandon his friends _◆ _."_

Kurapika clenched his fist. "You don't know me."

He heard quiet chuckles from the other line and wondered what was going through the clown's head.

 _"Indeed, it seems I don't. Well, don't mind me. I was just calling you to deliver the news."_ He chuckled a bit more. _"After all, I'm sure you'll change your mind **very** soon _◇ _."_

With that, Hisoka hung up.

Kurapika sighed and looked down. In truth, he really wanted to help Gon and Killua and make sure the boys were safe. But he couldn't just drop everything and go try to save them without even knowing the situation.

For all he knew, he could just be walking into his death. From the stories he'd heard, the Dark Continent wasn't to be taken lightly.

Melody put her hand on his arm and squeezed comfortingly. "I'm sure they're fine Kurapika," she said.

Kurapika nodded. They probably were fine. For now. They were strong boys.

But would they be fine in the long run? Kurapika had no way of knowing.

The two boys he met during the Hunter exam... he had no doubt they had grown a lot and improved with their Nen.

But he didn't know if they could survive a place as notoriously dangerous as the Dark Continent.

And that scared him.

Those two and Leorio along with Melody were the closest things to family he has. Even if he barely talks to them.

If they were to die without him even trying to save them... he doesn't think he could forgive himself.

But could he really drop his life's purpose of gathering the scarlet eyes to jump into such a dangerous and unknown journey?

He took a seat on the nearby couch and Melody sat next to him. Everybody had cleared out when they saw how angry he was getting before, so it was just them two.

At that moment, his phone rang once again.

Not bothering to check the ID, he just answered. "Hello?"

 _"Is this Kurapika?"_ The voice was familiar, but one that Kurapika couldn't quite place. It sounded like an elderly man.

"Yes, who's asking?"

 _"This is Chairman Netero from the Hunter Association."_ Kurapika's eyes widened. _"I'm sure you remember me from the Hunter exam."_

"Yes... nice speaking to you again," Kurapika replied unsurely. Two strange calls back to back? Not a coincidence.

Netero chuckled a bit before speaking. _"I have a mission I'd like you to participate in."_

"Let me guess..." Kurapika said. "Going to the Dark Continent?"

Netero made a surprised sound. _"...Did you develop a mind reading ability?"_

Melody laughed slightly next to Kurapika while Kurapika just sighed. "No. But right before you called, somebody else called me and brought up the Dark Continent, saying that Gon and Killua are stranded there and need help." He took a breath. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Netero was silent for a few moments before speaking. _"Who told you that?"_ He asked curiously.

"Hisoka. He implied that he got his information from Killua's brother, Illumi."

Netero hummed. _"That makes sense... him and Illumi did seem kinda close... If I didn't know any better, I'd even think they were fuc–"_

"Okay, what did you call for?" Kurapika cut in. He didn't need any disturbing images in his head, he already had a headache. "If it's the whole Dark Continent thing, I don't know how I'd be of help. I've only been a Hunter for a little over a year, and I know nothing about the Dark Continent." He wanted to help Gon and Killua, he really did, but this was sounding like a really bad situation that he wouldn't be able to help fix.

 _"Well... let me make a correction,"_ Netero said. _"Hisoka got misinformation. Gon and Killua are not in the Dark Continent. The Zoldycks told Illumi that he couldn't sense Killua because he was in the Dark Continent, but really that was just to cover up the truth."_

Kurapika felt a wave of relief, yet confusion and wariness go through him. "So where are they?"

 _"They're in a place that can normally only be accessed by going through the Dark Continent, but it seems they were transported there by Nen. The place is called the Shinobi Nations by those who know of it."_

"Shinobi? Like, Ninja?" Kurapika asked. Melody too was confused.

 _"Yes, precisely. We have shinobi here too, but it's different there. It's like a whole other civilization. The Shinobi nations have large shinobi villages and ninja acting as a military force for each village. The boys most likely have taken refuge in one of those villages for now. I'm sure they're much safer than they would've been in the DC."_

Kurapika relaxed a bit more at that, but then a question popped in his mind. "Wait, so you want me to go through the Dark Continent and get to the Shinobi Nations to bring them back?" This was all sounding like a lot more than he had grown accustomed to in the past few months. His goals were usually much simpler than this.

 _"Well, you and a group of other Hunters, yes,"_ Netero said. _"The Zoldycks have put in a request for Killua to be rescued, and they want a group of Hunters to go in for the job. I figured you would be a logical choice. You've proven yourself to be level-headed, intelligent, and from what I've heard from your Nen master, you've grown powerful. You also care about Gon and Killua. Most hunters won't willingly go on this mission for people they don't know or care about."_

Kurapika saw the man's point, but sighed. This was the second time he faced a dilemma like this.

His purpose or his friends?

The first time was much simpler. Gon and Killua had been hostages for the Troupe but Kurapika had a guaranteed way of getting them back. It was a no brainer to choose his friends.

But now, the boys were far out of his reach and he didn't know if there was much he could do for them.

Logic tells him to just keep going after the eyes and let Netero form a team comprised of more experienced Hunters to go save them.

But emotion tells him to go after the boys despite the risks and lack of knowledge.

He was confused.

He was confused until Netero spoke again.

"Oh and by the way..." he started. "I understand you're looking for the lost eyes of your clan?"

Kurapika felt the familiar burn of his eyes that occurred almost whenever the scarlet eyes or his clan was mentioned. "Yes... I am. What of it?"

Netero sighed. "Well, I didn't want to play this card so early, but you seem conflicted. So I'll make things simple." Kurapika braced himself for what he was about to hear. "An abundance of Scarlet eyes have ended up in the Shinobi Nations."

Kurapika's eyes glowed red and his aura spiked, overwhelming Melody's senses.

" **I'm listening.** "

* * *

 **Chapter 12 End**

Thanks for reading!


	13. Strengthening x of x Bonds

This is quite a long chapter but I didn't feel like splitting it in two so...

Thank you to everyone who reads and everyone who leaves reviews! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter or Naruto.

* * *

 **Strengthening x of x Bonds**

* * *

"Maybe... we should start coming in a bit later..."

Naruto let out a yawn and glanced at Sakura. "Nah, Kaka-sensei and Sasuke will be here soon."

Sakura looked at him skeptically. "How can you be so sure?"

He shrugged. "Just a feeling. Kaka-sensei said we had a mission today. Doesn't that mean he has to come a bit earlier than normal to give us the mission?"

Sakura shrugged back. About fifteen minutes had passed since Team 7 was scheduled to meet at the same bridge above the riverbank, but only two of them had arrived. Naruto was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed and a hand seal formed while Sakura sat next to him, trying to sense his chakra. It was an idea she had gotten from Kakashi, who was nowhere to be found. But then again, neither was Sasuke.

"And where do you think Sasuke is? Think he ditched?" She questioned.

Naruto shook his head, eyes still closed. "Doubt it. He seemed to be coming around yesterday. Could've sworn I saw him crack some stupid smirk when I made a mistake during a drill."

Sakura let out a chuckle at that. "Really? I didn't even catch that."

"Bastard thinks he's slick, that's why. Every time the littlest emotion appears on his face, he turns his head to hide it." He huffed. "I don't know if he's shy, or just has a stick up his ass. Actually, it's the second."

Sakura shook her head in exasperation. "How insightful of you Naruto." After a few moments of silence, she turned to him and tried focusing harder on sensing his chakra, even closing her eyes to concentrate.

She could definitely feel a presence, just like she could when she had come across Gon using Nen a few weeks ago. There's a pressure coming from Naruto, but it doesn't feel distinct. It feels characterless, blank. She wouldn't be able to tell him apart from other people.

"What are you doing?"

Sakura jumped and opened her eyes to see Naruto gazing at her inquisitively.

"I was trying to sense your chakra. People apparently have distinct chakra signatures. So if I get good at this, I could be able to tell people apart by how their chakra feels. Right now though I can only just sense a pressure."

Naruto looked amazed. "That's really cool! I'm sure you'll get it down soon Sakura-chan." He looked up with a sigh. "Me on the other hand..."

Sakura saw that the boy was frustrated. "No luck with that jutsu you were practicing?"

He shook his head. "I asked sensei more about it yesterday. I know how to improve with it now... it's just not what I expected. It's going to take some time to get better at."

Now she was curious. "What did Kakashi-sensei tell you then?"

Naruto's face turned red and looked away. "Uh..."

* * *

 _"Do you have a crush on Sakura?"_

 _Naruto made an embarrassed face. "Huuh?"_

 _Kakashi let out a chuckle. "Do you like Sakura, Naruto? I won't make fun of you."_

 _"This has to do with the jutsu?" Naruto asked skeptically. Kakashi nodded. "Well..." He took a breath and looked to his feet. "I used to like her a lot... for a long time. She's really pretty after all. But after a while I realized she wouldn't like me back... so I don't really feel that way any more. I'm just glad we can be cool." He looked up at Kakashi. "Now, why'd you wanna know?"_

 _Kakashi eye-smiled. "Well there's your answer Naruto. That's why you could use the jutsu to transform into Sakura, but not anything else you tried."_

 _Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Can I get a summary?"_

 _"You liked Sakura, so you paid a lot of attention to her. The true transformation jutsu works by replicating qualities of whatever it is that you transform into, but for it to work you must have those qualities ingrained in your mind." At Naruto's blush, he laughed. "That's right. You liked Sakura so much that your mind remembered her distinct smell and the feel of her chakra."_

 _"WHAT?!"_

 _"Careful Naruto. Get too loud and they might hear you," Kakashi said, gesturing behind Naruto._

 _The boy glanced back to see Sakura and Sasuke, who had been practicing a shuriken team drill, turn to look at him in curiosity(and mild annoyance in Sasuke's case)._

 _Naruto gritted his teeth and turned back to Kakashi. "Sensei, that doesn't even make sense. Maybe her smell, but her chakra? I don't even know how to feel another person's chakra, so how could I remember hers?"_

 _"The subconscious mind is powerful Naruto... just because you don't consciously realize it, doesn't mean your mind hasn't picked it up and stored the information away. Same thing goes for her smell." He pulled out his book and began reading. "I don't know how into the art of romance you are, but it's been scientifically proven that many people end up being attracted to others by smell. Shinobi even become attracted because they like the feel of another's distinct chakra signature." He looked up. "Interesting, no?"_

 _Naruto furrowed his eyebrows and stared speechless for a few moments before sighing. "Fine. So I have to remember things about whatever it is that I want to transform into? Then if I remember a shuriken is sharp, why can't I transform into one?"_

 _Kakashi sighed and closed the book, looking Naruto in the eye. "You told me that you had tried to transform into a Demon Wind Shuriken. It's interesting in concept, but have you studied one? Analyzed it from every angle and in every lighting? Touched it's cool metal and committed the feel to memory? Have you felt what it's like to be cut by it's sharpness?" Kakashi questioned. "Knowing what one looks like and does isn't enough. You have to memorize the qualities that you wish to incorporate. For example, if you get the metal part down but haven't memorized how sharp it feels, you won't be able to cut even a sheet of paper."_

 _He paused and took a breath before continuing._

 _"You transformed into Sakura, but I doubt it was a perfect transformation. You got her looks, voice, smell, and chakra signature down well enough, but who knows what error you made? I probably would have saw through the transformation had I been paying more attention," he explained. "To transform into something perfectly, you have to become it. For example, to transform fully into an inanimate object, you'd have to learn how to cease all thought and just become it. Otherwise, enemies might be able to feel something amiss. That's part of what makes this technique so difficult to learn."_

 _Naruto looked intrigued. "Wow... as annoying as this ability sounds, it's really cool isn't it?"_

 _Kakashi nodded. "It's a forbidden jutsu, just like the shadow clones. It's bound to be impressive."_

 _"Say, sensei, do you know how to use it?"_

 _Kakashi shook his head. "It's rare that someone is able to use that jutsu, Naruto. It usually takes a lot of chakra, control, repetitive training, mental commitment and control of the mind just to transform once. The only reason you were able to transform into Sakura is because of the time you probably spent studying her."_

 _Naruto brushed off his embarrassment with a curt nod._

 _"Naruto, promise me something," Kakashi said, causing Naruto to look at him curiously. "You should do a lot of studying, chakra control exercises, mental training, and visualization practice, but promise me you won't actually attempt to perfectly transform into an inanimate object yet. At least not while you're alone."_

 _He noticed that Kakashi was looking at him very intently. He had a feeling there was more to the jutsu that the man wasn't telling him, but he shrugged it off. He would ask for more help with it later anyway._

 _"Yeah. I promise."_

* * *

"He basically said I have no talent at all and just need to work my ass off."

Sakura huffed, no longer interested. "Well I could've told you that."

"Hey!"

Sakura chuckled. "I'm just joking."

She felt a presence behind her and turned to look. It was Sasuke. "Woah, guess I'm getting better at this chakra sensing thing."

Sasuke walked onto the bridge with his hands in his pockets and his usual expressionless face, but his body language wasn't as closed off as usual.

To their surprise, instead of stopping a few feet away from them and ignoring their existence, he walked right up to them.

"Good morning, Sasuke." Sakura greeted, watching him confusedly.

Naruto said nothing, but he too was interested.

After a moment, Sasuke nodded at them and turned to lean over the railing. "Yo."

Both Sakura and Naruto's eyes widened and they turned to each other.

"Did he just... greet us?" Naruto whispered in shock.

"Casually?" Sakura quietly asked back.

Sasuke scoffed. "You know I can still hear you idiots right?"

They both jumped and turned to face him.

"Sorry, Sasuke, we're just kidding!" Sakura laughed nervously.

"I wasn't," Naruto muttered.

Before Sasuke could reply, Kakashi appeared in a plume of smoke.

"Kaka-sensei!" Naruto jumped up with a smile, running up to the man.

"You're late," Sakura noted. "Again."

Kakashi eye-smiled and patted Naruto on the head before he made eye contact with Sakura. "True, but didn't I tell you three to run laps while I'm not here? That I would punish you if you didn't?"

While Naruto cringed and Sasuke scoffed, Sakura turned to the man in defiance. "You also said yesterday that we should refrain from doing that on days we know we have missions because we'll tire ourselves out before the day even begins. On top of that, Sasuke just arrived. Wouldn't starting without him go against the qualities of teamwork you've tried to instill in us?"

Naruto and Sasuke looked at her in surprise, but she kept her gaze locked to Kakashi's. She wasn't in the mood for this right now.

Kakashi said nothing for a while, meeting her eyes intently, before eye-smiling and chuckling a bit. "Smart girl. From now on, I know I can count on you to remember things Sakura."

Sakura relaxed a bit at that. So it had just been a test.

"Anyways, we've got a simple D-rank mission today. Hope you're skilled with paint brushes!"

It took a few moments for his words to sink in.

"Sensei...?"

"Don't tell me..."

"Tsk."

Kakashi beamed at them and held up the mission scroll for them to see. "Yup! Time to paint, my cute little genin!"

The three groaned in unison.

* * *

"Come on boys! Hustle!"

Gon and Killua groaned. Only Bisky would have them doing training while on a D-rank mission.

They were currently moving supply boxes from one shop to another while wearing weights that Guy had given to Kite for them to wear. There was a weight for each arm and leg, and each of them weighed 3 tons, equaling 12 tons in total plus the extra weight from the boxes. Since neither of them were allowed to use Nen, the training was many times more difficult, mainly for Gon.

"Don't they say carrying too much weight like this stunts your growth?" Killua asked, mildly sweating as he held a large box against his chest.

Gon, who was sweating profusely and panting, shrugged and lifted his box a little higher above his head.

Bisky was in the background clapping, doing absolutely no work, despite being genin like they were.

Kite was in the background just watching them.

Killua sighed. "I guess this team has two senseis and two genin."

Gon let out a shaky laugh and nodded, pushing forward with more vigor.

"Hey, Killua, let's finish this mission quick so we can go see what Naruto and Sakura are up to. I think they have a mission today too."

Killua nodded. "Alright." He pushed forward to catch up to Gon. "Let's make this quick then."

"Less talking! More moving!" Bisky commanded.

The two boys groaned once again, but pushed on.

* * *

"This... is the worst."

Sasuke had to agree with Naruto, though he didn't feel like saying it.

The two were on the left side of an old beige house, painting the chipped wall while Sakura painted the front and Kakashi watched her. The team had spent the last two hours painting the other two sides of the house, so these two sides were all that was left.

"I'm surprised you're even doing this, pretty boy. Not scared to get paint in your hair?"

Sasuke scoffed as he moved his brush in long vertical strokes along the wall. "If I were you, I'd worry about the paint that's all over that horrid jumpsuit."

A tick mark appeared on Naruto's head as he looked down at his jumpsuit and back at Sasuke. "Horrid?"

Sasuke sighed as he dipped his brush back into the bucket of beige paint. "Just shut up and get back to work loser. The faster we do this, the faster I can go train. Something you should do more often."

"I've been training hard to get this special jutsu down. Just wait, I'll blow your ass out of the water!"

"Hn." Sasuke chose not to speak more on the matter, leaving the boys to work in silence.

He had decided to at least _try_ to interact with his teammates more. Kakashi's words had gotten to him somewhat after all.

What could the harm be? He'd still be getting training either way, and it's less likely for them to hold him back if they can all work as a team. It's not like he has to marry them or something.

But still, this much forced conversation with Naruto was tiring. He just wanted some quiet.

Unfortunately for him, Naruto soon spoke again, but only because the boy accidentally touched the wet paint on the wall.

"Damn it, stupid paint..." Naruto sighed, wiping the paint on his orange pants. The boy's whole outfit was already riddled with beige paint, making him look beyond messy.

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. "Don't you have any sense...?"

Naruto huffed and went back to painting.

No response? That was a first.

That's when Sasuke heard it.

"Look at him... He's messing up the new paint job for that house!"

"I still don't know why the Hokage even let him become a ninja."

"Honestly! That boy will purposely ruin anything he gets his hands on!"

"I'm tired of seeing that wicked child in this village..."

Sasuke didn't turn to face them, but it was clear the villagers were muttering about Naruto. Naruto's tense body language and him hiding his face from Sasuke's view also confirmed this.

Now, why the villagers were talking like that about Naruto and why they were talking so loudly? He didn't know.

But it was annoyingly distracting, so he turned and directed a fierce glare at them.

They all flinched a bit and moved along, not giving a second glance.

Now that, Sasuke was used to. Either people put him on a pedestal, or they feared him. It was usually students and teachers in the academy that worshipped him, but many other villagers gave him wary looks and stayed far away. As if he would snap at any moment. As if he would go do the path that man did...

So he understood why he got that reaction. It was normal.

But as he turned back to Naruto, he couldn't fathom why they were talking about him like that. The boy doesn't exude any type of harmful or malicious intent. Even when he showed another side to himself yesterday and berated Sasuke, he hadn't seemed bad. Just more intelligent than he normally lets on.

So why had one of the villagers called him a 'wicked child?' That seemed like a bit much for just a couple pranks.

He decided to get to the bottom of it. "That doesn't annoy you?" When Naruto realized Sasuke was talking to him, he turned to him with a confused expression. "I know you heard those villagers talking. Why didn't you just yell at them to get lost?" That seemed like it would be typical behavior for Naruto anyway.

Naruto just gave a forced smile and shrugged, turning back to painting. "That'll just make them think worse of me. Give them more to talk about." He sighed and dipped his brush into the bucket. "Besides, you get used to it after a while."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. So this was a common occurrence? Why? As far as Sasuke knew, Naruto wasn't tied to anything bad like how Sasuke was tied to Itachi and the massacre. It didn't make sense.

"They're talking about something specific? Or are they just being fools like usual?" He asked dryly, moving his brush on autopilot.

Naruto tensed a bit and averted his gaze. "Pranks, I guess. They've been doing that for as long as I can remember though."

Sasuke thinks he may have found one thing he can relate to Naruto on, besides them both being orphans. He understood probably more than anyone else in their age group what the boy was going through. Maybe even more than anyone in the village.

Not like he'd say that out loud though.

"Hn." He turned back to painting. "Don't listen to them. Like I said, they're fools."

He saw Naruto smile slightly from the corner of his eyes and had to question why he had let himself get so nice. He would have to throw in a few more cold glares throughout the day to even it out.

* * *

Over on Sakura's end, she was progressing much more quickly than the boys due to her lack of distraction. She had already painted the bottom half, and was now on top of a scaffolding to paint the higher parts of the house. The house was only 2-stories, so it wasn't really dangerous.

She could feel Kakashi's gaze on her. Turning around to meet his eye, she saw that he was still laying leisurely on a nearby bench and reading his book contently.

Her eye twitched. This guy just _screamed_ lazy sensei. And wasn't that a damn porn book...?

Kakashi looked up at her innocently. "Something wrong, Sakura?"

Sakura put on her brightest fake smile and shook her head. "Oh nothing sensei!" she said sarcastically.

His mocking eye-crinkle irritated her. "Good! Because you're close to being done. It wouldn't do to get distracted now."

 _"I would already be done if you helped..."_ Not bothering to say that out loud, she huffed and turned back to the wall.

 _ **"Speak on it! What's the worst he could do?"**_ Inner Sakura jumped in.

Sakura sighed. _"I don't know, punish me and the other two for talking out of turn? Kick me off his team? Maybe tell my mother who will then nag me to death?"_

 _ **"He won't do that over a simple remark! Grow some balls!"**_

 _"Why are you even talking? Go away."_

Sakura has been dealing her 'imaginary self' for so long that it had become a habit to just repress her. Inner Sakura had been a version of her that could remain strong while others bullied her as a child. Her mother had said it was a childish phase and it's one of the only things Sakura can agree with her on. She should have long since outgrown this, and she's been trying to leave it behind for a long time.

But lately, in the past couple of weeks, Inner Sakura's been making herself known more often. Even when Sakura tried to push her into the back of her mind, she would come back at some point. Sometimes she would even push back against the repression, as if she were a real spirit with real power over Sakura's mind. It was distracting and kind of unsettling.

 _ **"Whatever! Your stupid sensei is calling you anyway!"**_

 _"Technically he's your stupid sensei too but..."_ Sakura turned to Kakashi. "You say something?"

"Ignoring people is rude Sakura. Especially if it's your sensei," he commented, not seeming to care much.

Sakura shrugged. "Sorry. I was lost in thought. What did you want though?"

Kakashi pointed at the scaffolding. "If you're interested, there might be another way for you to paint without having to rely on that. It could help with your overall ninja career too."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. Now he chose to be helpful? "And what's that?"

He sighed and got up, moving through the crowds of villagers that walked by to stop next to a tree across the street. "I didn't bother teaching you kids this yet, but I figured I might as well show you. From what I've read, you have excellent chakra control." He then proceeded to walk up a tree, making Sakura's eyes widen slightly and all the people around gasp in amazement. "This is a technique done by focusing chakra to the soles of your feet and pushing it past your sandals to connect it to whatever surface you're trying to walk on," he said, raising his voice so she could hear him over the chatter of the villagers.

Sakura hummed in interest. "And the hard part is probably determining how much chakra to use and keeping the flow consistent?"

Kakashi nodded. "Good question. Using too little will make you slip off the surface. Using too much will blow you off." He walked down from the tree and eye-smiled at the villagers, greeting them politely as he pushed through the crowd. He stopped in front of the scaffolding Sakura was on before speaking again. "You don't seem that surprised by this technique like a genin fresh out of the academy should be."

Sakura shrugged and looked away. "I've seen impressive things before..." Her mind drifted to the time she saw Gon's Nen Aura and when she found out that Bisky's youthful appearance was a cover up for her real age. She turned her eyes back to Kakashi. "Besides, in a world where people can spit fire and duplicate themselves, is walking up a tree really so crazy?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Fair point. Care to give it a try?"

Sakura nodded and jumped down from the scaffolding before walking with Kakashi back over to the tree. It was still early in the morning, so it was only natural that civilians would be watching them curiously. She mentally noted that her parents would find out about this by the end of the day. Her mother had always told her not to draw attention to herself in the village, especially with anything ninja related, but she didn't find herself caring too much.

"Don't be hard on yourself if you fail. This is a pretty advanced chakra control technique after all. You'd have to be really talented to get this on your first try." Kakashi told her lazily, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm just curious to see exactly where you stand in terms of chakra control."

Sakura nodded easily, but she still fully intended to get this down first try.

She made a hand seal and closed her eyes. Focusing her senses inward, she felt around her navel for the pool of chakra and visualized it as the blue energy she had seen in textbooks. Slowly guiding the blue energy to her feet, she envisioned it going through her sandals to gather beneath them with a controlled current.

She opened her eyes and looked at Kakashi. "Ok. I'm ready."

Kakashi nodded, watching her with mild interest in his eye.

She placed one foot on the tree and focused. Her chakra seemed to be in tune with the tree, and she could feel it's faint life force from where her foot touched.

Carefully, balancing all her weight on her extended foot, she placed the other one on the tree and braced herself for a fall. It never came. She heard the gasps and awes from the villagers and knew this was _definitely_ making it to her parents by tonight.

She turned to look at Kakashi, who's eye was incredibly wide. "Well sensei, looks like I'm really talented!" She took a few more steps and stumbled a bit before running up the rest of the way, stopping to sit on the highest branch.

She turned to look down at all the awed villagers and her even more shocked sensei. Putting up the piece sign, she said, "This wasn't as hard as I thought!"

She looked around a bit and saw Naruto on the side of the house gaping at her along with a shocked looking Sasuke. She waved at them and started laughing. "You two need to catch up!"

Sasuke huffed and turned, going back to painting while Naruto ran over to the tree excitedly.

"That was amazing Sakura! Did Kaka-sensei teach you that?"

The villagers began clearing out at his arrival and gave him dirty looks as they left.

Sakura hopped down in front of him and nodded. "Yeah. It's a chakra control technique. You basically just focus it to your feet." She looked around at the quickly leaving villagers and wondered what the hell their problem was. But she was pretty sure that her parents would know about her talking to Naruto by tonight too.

Naruto grinned and turned to Kakashi. "Why's Sakura getting all the special treatment? I wanna learn that too!"

Kakashi eye-smiled at the excited boy. "In due time, Naruto. No offense, but you'd have to do regular chakra control exercises before even attempting that. Yours doesn't hold a candle to Sakura's as you are right now. Neither does Sasuke's. I doubt any of the rookie genin are on her level in that regard."

Sakura blushed at the praise while Naruto pouted but went back to gushing over how good she was.

Kakashi, meanwhile, was mentally appraising Sakura's unexpected talent.

 _"I've never heard of anybody being able to do the tree-walking exercise on the first try. It took me about five tries to get it down when I was younger... I think it even took the Legendary Tsunade two tries..."_ he narrowed his eye at Sakura in interest. _"After reading her academy reports, I had a hunch that she would be the most skilled with chakra on the team but... the chakra control exercises in the academy are all basic. Scoring perfectly on them is no doubt impressive, but this? This is next level... Not to mention she was at the top of her class when it came to written tests, proving she's very intelligent..."_

He had to wonder where all these children full of potential were popping out from. Naruto and Sasuke were obvious due to their bloodlines, but Sakura is from a civilian family and Gon and Killua were foreigners that literally seemed to come out of nowhere. Just like their mentor Kite did a few years ago.

Regardless of the details, this generation of shinobi could be the most talented one yet.

"Sakura! Naruto!" A voice yelled from down the street. Kakashi, Sakura and Naruto turned to see an excited Gon running towards them with a smiling Killua right behind him. Walking calmly behind the two was Bisky, who Kakashi and Naruto were seeing for the first time, and Kite.

Sakura beamed and ran towards them with Naruto hot on her trail. "You idiots!" She yelled with a laugh, tackling them to the ground in a hug. She felt like she hadn't seen them in a long time, even though it had only been two days. Gon was on the ground laughing and Killua followed suit. After a moment, she too joined in on the mirth.

Before they could even get up, Naruto tripped and fell on them, making it four kids on the ground laughing in joy. Kakashi, Bisky, and Kite took in the scene with mild amusement. Sasuke peeked out from beside the house and watched without a word.

Sakura sat up. "Don't you guys have a mission?" Naruto looked curious too.

Gon and Killua sat up, both of them nodding. "Yeah, we already finished," Killua said.

Upon further inspection, Sakura noticed that they were sweaty. She jumped up. "You mean to tell me I hugged you guys when you're sweating that much?" She made a disgusted face and started checking her red dress for sweat stains.

The three boys laughed at her before she huffed, looking away. She noticed Bisky for the first time and a happy smile broke out on her face. "Bisky!" She ran past the boys to envelope the woman, who was smiling and waiting with opened arms, in a hug.

Naruto looked at the two females before squinting and turning back to Gon and Killua. "Who's that?" He whispered.

"Our me—"

"Our teammate," Killua cut in, nudging Gon harshly. The boy, now sheepishly agreeing, had been about to slip up and say 'mentor'.

Naruto nodded and turned back to look at Bisky curiously before shifting his gaze to Kite. He acknowledged that the man looked very cool, and he briefly wondered how long it had taken to grow his hair to that length.

"Naruto," Gon started, causing the blonde to turn back to him. "Are you done with your mission? Me and Killua wanted to know if you guys wanted to hang out today."

Naruto eye's widened. "Really?" Gon nodded. Naruto shot up with an excited grin. "Yeah! Let's do it! I haven't really gotten to spend much time with you guys yet except... well..."

"When you beat the hell out of Mizuki?" Killua supplied. Naruto laughed but nodded. "That's why we wanna hang out. We got off early today, so we wanted to take advantage of our free time. You done with your mission?"

Naruto flinched. "Oh yeah, I forgot! I left the bastard doing all the work!"

"You're damn right loser. And you'd better get back over here." Sasuke stood at the corner of the house with his arms crossed, glaring at the blonde. It seemed his patience was wearing thin.

Naruto smirked condescendingly. "Aww, you miss me princess? Don't you worry, I'll be there in a second!"

Sasuke glared harder and scoffed before walking out of their view, presumably going back to painting.

Gon and Killua chuckled. "You guys seem to be getting along," Killua remarked.

Naruto huffed. "If you can even call it that." He turned and started walking over to Sasuke. "Anyways, wait for us. We'll be done soon."

Sakura, meanwhile, had sat down with Bisky while Kite went to stand near Kakashi, them greeting each other with head nods.

"So, how's everything going Sakura? It's been a while since you came over for dinner," Bisky said.

Sakura shrugged. "Things have been moving fast these past few days, but I think I can adjust to this life." She turned to Bisky. "What about you guys?"

Bisky smirked evilly. "Well, I don't know about the boys, but not much has changed for me."

Sakura squinted at her. "You don't even plan on participating in the missions do you?"

Bisky cackled loudly and Sakura just shook her head with an amused smile.

She really liked Bisky. She kind of had a crazy but cool mom vibe to her—unlike her actual mother.

"Sakura," Kakashi called. When Sakura turned to face him, he eye-smiled. "Break time's over. You still have painting to do!" He said cheerfully.

Sakura sighed and turned to Bisky. "This job better pay well." Bisky laughed and patted her on the back as she got up to trudge back over to the house.

The laughter halted as Bisky watched Sakura walk up the unpainted corner of the house with only her feet.

She was very intrigued. Making eye-contact with Kite, she asked, "The fact that she can do that means that she already has incredible chakra control right?" She had read about this technique while she was studying chakra.

Kite nodded, also looking impressed. "So I've heard."

Bisky went over to talk to Sakura while Kite turned to Kakashi. "That's quite the student you have there."

Kakashi looked up from his book with an eye-smile. "Thanks, but don't be so modest. I've heard impressive things about your students too."

Kite hummed. "From Guy, I assume?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Those kids know Guy? "No, from the Hokage."

"Ah, he told you about their test," Kite concluded.

Kakashi nodded, meeting Kite's gaze. "He mentioned something about one of your students using an _at least_ A-class jutsu. Gon, was it?" He narrowed his eye slightly. "That sounds pretty impressive to me, considering his age."

Kite could sense that the man was indirectly asking a question, so he just gave a small smirk. "Indeed it is. But while Gon is a skilled boy, he's not the most impressive on our team." At that, he turned away to watch Gon and Killua converse with Sakura and Bisky across the road.

Kakashi raised a brow. "Oh? I know about Killua's assassin background and his skills too. I'd say they both are tied when it comes to being impressive." Gon being able to use a technique more powerful than a rasengan was no joke after all.

Kite let out a chuckle at that and closed his eyes. "I agree Kakashi, but you seem to be confused." Kakashi raised an eyebrow and Kite met his gaze. "I never said anything about Killua."

At that, Kakashi's eyes widened in disbelief and he looked towards Bisky, who for all intents and purposes, looked like a little girl dressed up as a princess. He shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but it was hard not to. Was Kite pulling his leg?

He didn't get a chance to ask because Kite had already walked over to his team, telling them he's leaving and then waved at Kakashi before jumping away. Gon and Killua, too, began walking away along with Bisky.

"Sakura, me and Killua are going home to shower! You and Naruto come to our building when you're ready to go out!" Gon called out from down the road. Killua stood behind him with his hands in his pockets arguing with Bisky about something.

Sakura nodded with a smile and went back to painting, wanting to finish quickly so she could go home and shower herself. "Got it!" She responded.

Naruto, who had heard, ran out from beside the house. "Wait! I don't know where you guys live!"

Killua, who had turned from Bisky with a huff, looked at Naruto. "Ask Sakura where it is. Or just meet up with her and have her bring you." Naruto nodded and he and Sakura waved at the two departing boys along with Bisky.

Naruto walked back over to Sasuke and looked at the boy curiously. "You sure you don't want to come bastard? I don't think they would mind, as long as you play nice."

Sasuke scoffed but didn't reply.

Naruto turned his head away in annoyance. "Hmph!" He got back to work so he could finish up quick.

* * *

A few hours later, a bit into the afternoon, Gon, Killua, Naruto, and Sakura were walking down the street together. Naruto had decided they should all go to Ichiraku since they were hungry from their missions earlier.

Sakura yawned. "Typical that you would choose to eat here Naruto." They were close enough to see Ichiraku coming into view.

"Why wouldn't I? Ichiraku is the best place to eat in the whole village!" Naruto declared.

"...Debatable."

Gon nodded in agreement with Killua. "Yeah, the food at BBQs was really good. And we went to this other restaurant that sells amazing fish!"

Killua smirked. "Of course _you_ would like the restaurant with fish." Gon stuck his tongue out at him.

"Why do you say that?" Naruto asked, wanting to get to know his friends more. Sakura looked curious too.

Killua looked unsure, but Gon had no problems telling them. "I'm from a fishing island. I grew up in a house near the forest, so I was always going out and being around nature and animals. I fished a lot too."

Naruto tilted his head. "So you grew up as a... fisher boy?"

Gon hummed in thought. "Kinda, I guess."

Sakura slightly raised a brow. "You never told me that. I thought you guys were both ninjas-in-training from one of the smaller shinobi villages but just had ties to the leaf."

Gon and Killua made brief eye contact. "You're kinda right," Gon said, turning back to her. "He wasn't from a shinobi village, but Killua was kind of a ninja-in-training, remember?"

She remembered Killua being from an assassin family, but that still made her think they were both from a small shinobi village. She never asked for more background on them because she was afraid they would think she was suspicious. Besides, she hadn't needed to. She trusted them, they're her friends.

"Hey, hey, I'm out of the loop," Naruto cut in. "So Killua grew up trained as a ninja, but you were just a fisher?"

"Assassin," Killua said. All eyes turned to him. "I grew up trained as an assassin."

"Isn't that the same thing?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Kind of but not really," Killua said quietly, speaking lowly enough so the people walking around them couldn't hear. "Assassins do the work of high-level ninja like ANBU. They take assassination jobs ranging from just somebody they're being paid to kill, to big political figures like the Hokage. Assassins don't do any of these other non-serious missions like painting a house to support the village. They're all about killing. And I was born into a family of them, trained from young to become the next heir."

Naruto looked amazed, while Sakura looked unsure.

"Shouldn't you be trying to keep all that a secret, Killua?" Sakura inquired, glancing cautiously at Naruto. Naruto was a cool guy, but who knows if he could keep a secret or not?

Killua shrugged. "Probably. If word gets out about this, I could be targeted both by ninja in this village and from other villages. But you already knew pinky, so I figured he should know too. You're both my friends. I don't see the harm if it's just you two." Naruto looked happy at that, feeling trusted with something for the first time. "Besides, it's not like I'm still an assassin. That's one of the reasons I'm here right now, I ran away with Gon."

What Killua didn't say is that Gon had changed him a lot and continued to have an influence on him to this day. Gon trusted Sakura and Naruto as good friends, so Killua was inclined to as well. Not to mention he had spent a lot of time with Sakura and he knew Naruto's secret, so he felt like they deserved to know.

Sakura just nodded at his explanation. As long as he was sure.

Finally, they reached Ichiraku and sat down. The seating order from left to right was Killua, Gon, Naruto, then Sakura.

"Hmm, I haven't had ramen in a long time. Have you ever had ramen before Killua?" Gon asked.

Killua shook his head. "Nah." He looked at the menu wondering what to order.

Naruto turned to look at him incredulously. "What? Get the Miso ramen. Right. Now!"

Sakura laughed at Naruto's enthusiasm, but planned to order the same. "You should you guys. It's really good."

Gon and Killua looked at each other and smiled, nodding. They would trust their friends.

They all ordered Miso Ramen and were continuing their conversation while they waited.

"So we got Killua's whole assassin backstory, what about you Gon? There's more to it right?" Naruto asked with interest.

Gon shrugged. "I told you most of it already. I grew up on a fishing island but then..." Killua nudged him, wordlessly telling him to try to leave out details. "One day, when I was younger, I had almost been killed by an animal who's territory I had just trespassed onto. But a man saved my life." He turned to look at Naruto and Sakura. "It was Kite."

Sakura blinked. "I heard you mention that name before. That's your sensei, right?"

"The cool-looking guy from earlier with the long flowing hair?" Naruto asked.

Gon nodded. "Yeah. He's the reason we have ties to this village. But anyway..." he went back to reminiscing. "He's the one that told me... that my father had become... a hunter." He had considered switching out the word 'hunter' with 'ninja', but Gon didn't want to lie to his friends.

Killua facepalmed while Naruto and Sakura were confused. "So he hunts animals?" Naruto wondered.

Killua sighed and gave Gon a dirty look. "You should've just skipped over that part idiot, it's too much to explain," he whispered.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "What aren't you two telling us?"

Gon looked from Killua to them and back to Killua. "We might as well tell them Killua. It's okay, they'll get it."

Killua swallowed down his explanation about how the knowledge of them being from a different world/dimension/whatever might push the other two away, or might even make them seem crazy.

Instead, he came up with his own explanation. "Hunters where we're from means something different. It doesn't just mean animal hunters. It's a title for those who travel the world with a goal that they're striving for, hence why they're called 'hunters'," Killua explained.

Naruto still looked a little confused but nodded while Sakura raised an eyebrow. "But where are you from? You never told me exactly where, and I've never heard of that 'Hunter' term."

Killua quickly thought up what he remembered from this world's geography to give her an acceptable answer. "Gon's from the Land of Waves and I'm from nowhere. I was constantly on the move with my family, we didn't have a single home. After running away, I ended up in the Land of Waves and met Gon who had just set out on his search for his dad. Happy?"

"Land of Waves huh..." Sakura said. "I've heard of that. I should've figured you were talking about there when you said fishing island Gon."

Gon laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. Meanwhile, Killua was patting himself on the back for remembering that the Land of Waves was home to many fishermen.

After Killua finished convincing Sakura, Gon started speaking again.

"I was raised by my aunt, and she had always told me my parents had died. She was afraid that if I found out about my father being alive and a hunter, I would end up like him."

"And to this day, she was right," Killua muttered. They all shared a laugh at that before Gon continued.

"But after Kite told me the truth about my father, I ended up wanting to do what he does. So I set out on a journey to find him. That became my 'hunter' goal. That's how I met Killua, like he said, and we've been together ever since."

Naruto was 'wowing' at the story. "That's really cool... so is that Kite guy the one who inspired you to become a ninja?"

Gon nodded with a smile. "Yeah... Kite's a ninja and a hunter. He's even my father's student."

"Wait. Kite's your jounin sensei..." Sakura started. "If your father is _his_ sensei then..."

"Yup. Gon's dad is no joke." Killua said. "But then again, neither is mine. He can rip a heart out without there being a single drop of blood."

Gon stuck his tongue out. "Show off! Bisky said Ging is one of the best Nen users in the world and he's clearly one of the top hunters too!"

Killua got in his face. "Oh yeah? Well my dad is one of the top assassins in Zoldyck history and he could probably kick your dad's ass!"

They two boys growled in each other's faces while Naruto and Sakura watched them with a mix of shock, confusion, and amusement. Mostly amusement on Sakura's end, as she'd seen them bicker like this before.

 _"Nen user? Zoldyck?"_ Naruto had no clue what those words meant but he shrugged it off in favor of the steaming hot bowl of ramen that was placed in front of him. His mouth watered and he wasted no time digging in.

Gon and Killua looked on at his ravenous eating in surprise while Sakura just chuckled. "He ate like this both times I came here with him. He really loves ramen."

Gon, grinning at the challenge, picked up his chopsticks and dug in, trying to out eat Naruto. Naruto finished his first bowl and asked for a second. Gon followed soon after.

Killua and Sakura watched on as the two boys' stacks of bowls got higher and higher, until it was clear that Naruto had outpaced Gon.

Naruto slammed his eleventh bowl on the table. "Ah! Finished!"

The other three just looked at him with wide eyes.

"Did he just..." Sakura started.

"Eat eleven bowls of ramen...?" Gon questioned, staring incredulously at the stack of eleven bowls. He himself had only eaten six.

Naruto just laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I was really hungry. It's okay though, I'll work it off with exercise."

"The real question is..." Killua started, "...who's paying for all that?"

There was silence among the four. Teunchi, the ramen shop owner, turned to them with greedy eyes.

They all turned to each other. "Rock paper scissors?" Gon suggested.

Killua scoffed. Of course _he'd_ suggest that. "The last two standing will have to pay."

A few matches of rock paper scissors later, Killua and Sakura ended up having to pay, with a triumphant Gon and Naruto laughing at them.

Sakura's eye twitched. "How is it that these two dimwits ate most of the food but won't have to pay for it?" Her and Killua's bowls _combined_ didn't even measure up to Gon's bowls, let alone Naruto's.

Killua sighed. "Whatever. The old hag gave me this money anyway." He put some money on the counter. "I paid half the bill. Thanks for the food old man," he said to Teunchi before standing up.

The boys all looked at Sakura expectantly. Sakura growled in annoyance and reached into her wallet. "I better get this back from missions..." They had gotten paid earlier that day, but the pay was crap! Hopefully the money will get better overtime.

Gon put his hand on hers and shook his head. "It's okay, Sakura. I got this half of the bill." He took out some money and put it next to Killua's.

Sakura was shocked. "Huh? But you won the game! You were even the one to propose we play it!"

He shook his head at her. "Yeah, but, I did eat a lot." He turned to Naruto, who looked a bit shameful. "Naruto, I know you don't have a lot of money on you, so it's ok. Don't feel bad." He turned back to Sakura. "And you get your money from your allowance right? You don't have to waste it on this. Me and Killua got it."

Sakura's heart warmed at the boy's kindness and she crushed him in a hug. Gon just laughed joyfully and patted her on the back.

Killua coughed and looked at them pointedly. "Well, if you two are done, we should get going. Didn't Sakura say she wants to go shopping or something?"

Sakura scoffed and let go of Gon. "Someone's jealous. But yeah, let's go!" She skipped passed Killua, who was glaring daggers at her, and started going the direction of the clothing shop she wanted to go to.

The three boys followed behind her, one muttering 'stupid pinky', one laughing mirthfully, and one that was just happy to actually be out with friends.

* * *

"Well look who it is."

The group turned around and Gon beamed when he saw who spoke. "Shikamaru! Choji!"

They had all just been about to enter the clothing store when Shikamaru had spoke to them from behind.

"Yo." Shikamaru said, hands lazily resting in his pockets. "I see you're doing better since the last time I saw you," he said to Gon.

Gon nodded cheerfully.

"What're you guys up to though?" Choji asked. "Going group shopping?"

Sakura nodded with a smile. "Yeah, you guys wanna come?"

Shikamaru rubbed his neck. "I mean, I don't think we should... considering we weren't invited to this little get together..."

Killua smirked. "Hurt, Shikamaru?"

"Badly," he sarcastically replied.

"Oh come on Shikamaru! This wasn't really planned!" Naruto said to him. "We just happened to run into each other after our missions and decided it then."

Sakura nodded. "And we didn't know where you guys were. We didn't see you around the village anywhere."

Shikamaru sighed. "Yeah, that's because our mission was in the damn forest and they had us chasing a stupid cat." He showed them the scratch marks on his arms. "Get a good look at why being ninja sucks, kids." Choji laughed at his expense.

The collective thought of the other four was _"What type of mission involves chasing a cat through a forest?"_

"Anyway," Choji started, "Let's go with them Shikamaru. We don't have anything else to do right now."

"Shogi? Sleep? Cloud-watch? Contemplate on life? Fake our deaths and run away?"

Everyone else deadpanned at him.

"What...?" He asked. "Do those not count?"

Sakura walked up to him and grabbed his ear. "You're coming." She pulled the complaining Shikamaru inside the shop while the others just stood and watched.

"Well that happened."

Killua nonchalantly walked in after them, hands in his pockets and amused smirk on his face. Gon was right behind him with a curious look around the inside of the shop. Naruto and Choji looked at each other and shrugged before entering too.

The store had a brown interior with large scrolls attached to the walls and white paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling. It wasn't as big as it looked from the outside, but there were many clothing racks around the store with clothes suitable for both shinobi and civilians. The store owner asked if he could help them with anything, but they all replied no. Sakura finally released Shikamaru and started looking around.

As he rubbed his ear, he gave Sakura a dirty look. "Was that _really_ necessary?" Sakura just smirked in return. "What the hell do you want in here anyway?"

Sakura perked up. "Oh yeah!" She turned to Gon. "Gon, let me buy you some clothes!"

"Huh? Why Sakura?"

Killua and Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at her.

She put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, I kind of did lose the rock paper scissors match, but you covered the ramen for me. I feel like I should repay you for that." Before Gon could even tell her she didn't have to, she cut him off. "Besides, you're one of the main reasons I wanted to go shopping anyway. You could use some new clothes." Gon nodded, smiling carefreely. "You too, Naruto." She said, turning to the blonde boy.

"Right..." Naruto said, seeming uncomfortable.

Shrugging her shoulders, Sakura grabbed Gon by the arm. "Ok guys, we'll be going over there. Go get some clothes for yourselves." She glanced at Killua. "And since you seem to think you're a fashion icon, you can go help Naruto find some clothes." She laughed at Killua's twitching eyebrow and dragged Gon away to the other side of the store.

"Troublesome woman stole my joke... what a drag," Shikamaru muttered. Choji scoffed.

Killua, who had taken a look behind him, noticed that Naruto still seemed uneasy and his eyes were pointedly staring at the floor. He took a look around, wondering what his problem was, when he saw the shop owner giving Naruto a fierce glare.

"Hey brat, you know better than to be in my damn shop... Get the hell out!" The man hissed. Naruto flinched, but Shikamaru and Choji stood in front of him protectively.

Sakura had taken Gon to the far end of the store, so neither of them had heard what the man said.

Killua hadn't forgotten about how the villagers treated Naruto. Many of them had been giving Naruto dirty looks on their way here. But he didn't know even the shop owners hated the boy so much that they were willing to lose money just to get rid of him. It pissed him off.

"This place doesn't look like business has been booming lately. Is it smart to kick out potential customers?" Shikamaru remarked.

"I don't want that damn _thing_ as a customer! He's nothing but trouble! If you're his friends you can leave too!" Naruto flinched once again at the man's words and started stepping back slowly, clenching his fists.

"Naruto hasn't done a thing to you! We're just here to buy clothes!" Choji chimed in, his brows furrowing at the unfairness.

"I don't give a damn!" The man said frantically, starting to look fearful. He picked up some type of religious statue and held it out in front of him. "Get out! You kids and that demon all need to leave!"

"Demon...?" Choji repeated in confusion while Shikamaru narrowed his eyes in thought. He had seen kids in the academy and their parents steer clear of Naruto, but he always attributed it to the boy's troublemaking and loud nature.

But to call him a demon? And for the man to look that fearful, with a religious figure in hand?

Something wasn't adding up. Shikamaru just didn't know what.

Naruto, not wanting to cause anymore trouble, had his head bowed and turned to leave. "It's ok guys. I'll just go," he gritted out, trembling in barely contained frustration. It never ends, does it?

Before he could walk out, he was stopped by a hand that gripped his wrist firmly. Killua's white hair shadowed his bangs, but Naruto still could sense the emotion running through the boy.

Anger.

 _Cold_ anger.

The whole atmosphere changed, and everyone in the vicinity felt the full brunt of Killua's negative intent when he raised his head to reveal cold blue eyes.

" **Old man... we're staying. _Understand?_** "

The man, deeply shaken by the boy's merciless gaze, nodded slowly. He didn't have the willpower to stand against that.

Killua smirked and his eyes regained their light. "Good." He turned to the uneasy Choji and wary Shikamaru. "Ok, let's go look for clothes for Naruto like pinky said."

"R-right..." Choji stuttered, holding his chest and breathing much faster than he should be. Shikamaru just sighed and nodded.

Killua turned to Naruto. "You ok?"

"Yeah..." Naruto replied quietly, having calmed down. He looked at Killua not with shock or fear, but with wonder. "You didn't have to do that you know."

"Of course I did. That's what friends are for."

He walked off in a random direction and knew the three others were right behind him.

Killua could feel the tension coming off Shikamaru and Choji, mainly Choji. He knew he screwed up, he shouldn't have done that. Now there's a chance he ruined his friendship with them by making them afraid of him. That was a really stupid move.

"Killua," Shikamaru called out quietly.

Killua stopped walking and turned to face them, already knowing what was coming.

"What... was that just now?" Shikamaru asked. He was clearly cautious, but he wasn't as nervous as Choji clearly was. Did Killua really shake him up that much?

Killua sighed. "I'm... sorry. I shouldn't have done that around you guys." He turned his back to them.

Naruto clapped Shikamaru and Choji on the shoulders. "Come on guys! What're you acting so scared for? Killua's our friend. He just needed to shake the bastard up a bit."

"It's not about why he did it..." Shikamaru started.

"It's about what he did..." Choji finished quietly. He looked at Killua's back. "Killua... are you the demon he was talking about?"

Killua whipped around incredulously. The statement was almost funny enough to laugh. "Come on Choji. It wasn't that serious."

"The best way for me to describe what happened..." Choji started, "...is that you got upset, your eyes... I've never seen eyes so cold. But it wasn't just that. Killua, you..." He took a step back. "You made shivers go through me. I almost had an anxiety attack, I... What was that?"

"Yeah, that wasn't normal. Was that some type of jutsu? Genjutsu, maybe?" Shikamaru questioned, trying to gain understanding.

Killua sighed and looked up at the ceiling, trying to think of a way to explain it. "It's... kind of a jutsu... It involves me using chakra to strike fear into those around me. I can only do that when I'm really upset though, and I tend to do it without thinking." He looked back at Choji. "Sorry for scaring you Choji. I didn't know you had anxiety. But I promise, I'm not a demon or anything like that... So... can we still be friends?"

He braced himself for some type of rejection. He tried his best, but he knew it was coming.

A few moments passed of Shikamaru and Choji just staring at him. No expression on their faces.

After a while, they looked at each other and busted out laughing. Hard.

Killua and Naruto were confused. "What the hell is so funny?!" Naruto demanded with a raised eyebrow.

"You... you should've seen... the look on your face Kil," Choji wheezed, standing against the wall for balance. Shikamaru had to cover his mouth to hide his grin.

"Wait a damn minute. You two were just acting?!" Killua felt a tick mark forming on his head.

"Well no, not at first. I really do have anxiety and you really _were_ scary but..." Choji trailed off, sobering up a bit. "It wasn't to the point that I thought you would be a danger to us. I mean come on! All the time we spent with you and Gon these last few weeks, we like to think we know you a bit. Scaring people into doing what you want is right up your alley. Especially if they made you mad."

Why did they have to make Killua sound like such an ass? Regardless, he couldn't help the laugh of relief he let out. After a moment, the others all joined in too.

Meanwhile, over with Gon and Sakura, Sakura was placing clothes against the boy's body to see what looks good on him. So far, everything has.

"What are those idiots over there laughing about?" Sakura wondered out loud. She was holding a navy blue T-shirt against Gon's body and acknowledged that it fit him really well.

Gon shrugged at her question. He had felt Killua's bloodlust spike a few moments ago but it immediately calmed after. He knew his best friend had the situation under control, whatever it may be, so he didn't worry about it. He found himself actually invested in finding new clothes for himself, even though he would mostly be wearing his regular clothes.

Sakura really liked the way the navy blue T-shirt looked against Gon. "Hey, Gon, try this shirt on. It would look good on you." It was a simple shirt with nothing on it, which was pretty much Gon's style. "Go in the changing room over there."

Gon just looked to the changing rooms and back before grinning. He turned his back to her and took off his white tank top, exposing his bare back.

"What the hell? Didn't I tell you to go..." Sakura stopped when she saw a strange design on the back of Gon's neck.

The boy turned and took the shirt from her when he noticed how curious she looked. "What is it, Sakura?"

She ignored how toned Gon's body was in favor of walking behind him to touch the mark on his neck. "Gon… what's this strange mark?"

"Oh that? Kite put that there yesterday," He replied. "It's a seal that uses both chakra and nen. He came up with it himself and created it by working with ninja good at fuinjutsu and genjutsu. Whenever any of us use Nen, it activates a genjutsu that makes it look and feel more like chakra." He demonstrated by releasing a little bit of aura. "It's working, right?"

Sakura was amazed. The boy was shrouded in a dense blue glow of chakra, something she had never seen before. She had only saw images of chakra in textbooks and in her imagination. In the academy, she had been told that it was invisible for the most part. Is this really how it looks, or is it just what the genjutsu created?

"Gon… this is amazing." Her hand felt the tingle from his energy as she touched the aura. "It even feels like chakra. Kind of different though. You could write that off as you having a special kind of chakra maybe."

He nodded and deactivated his nen, turning around to face her. "Me and Killua met a jounin in the forest two days ago the first time we used it. Even he was fooled into thinking we were using chakra." Pulling the navy blue T-shirt over his head, he continued. "He thought we were using something called a chakra aura."

Huh?

"Chakra aura?" Sakura questioned. It sounded self-explanatory but still...

Gon nodded as he patted down the shirt against his waist. "Yeah. He said it's a technique they don't even teach genin because it's pretty hard to do." He looked up at her and held his hands out with a smile. "How do I look?"

While the green shorts and boots did look a bit weird with the T-shirt, Gon is able to somehow pull off the look. She would still need to get him some more suitable pants and footwear though.

"You look great Gon. We should get you a few different colored t-shirts and tank tops. And some new pants too." He nodded and took off the shirt, putting back on his white tank-top. When she saw some blue ninja sandals in Gon's size, she picked them up and put them in the shopping bag. Good thing they came here while the sandals were on sale.

"Do you remember the man saying anything else about this chakra aura?" She asked after a while.

Gon hummed with a finger on his chin. "I think he said something about releasing chakra from all the chakra points. It sounds like what we do with Nen, so that's why I remembered it." He looked back at her. "Why, you want to learn how to do it Sakura?"

Sakura nodded. She knew she had a knack for chakra usage ever since the academy. After her tree-climbing feat earlier, she realized that it was time she started focusing her efforts in that area. "I'll have to look into it. Thanks for the info Gon. I guess I owe you one again."

The boy chuckled. "It's ok Sakura. Just promise to tell me whenever you learn it. I wanna see."

Sakura looked away in thought before meeting his eye. "Pinky promise?"

Gon held out his pinky with a smile. "I'll teach you how we do it where I'm from." They linked pinkies and he started chanting something Sakura had never heard. Why would he swallow a thousand needles over a broken promise?

"Now for the final part..." He pressed their thumbs together. "Sealed with a _kisssss_..."

Sakura couldn't stop herself from laughing. She could only imagine Gon making some girl blush from a pinky promise. There was no doubt in her mind that her friend would be a real charmer when he started dating.

Killua had better take notes.

* * *

After shopping for about an hour, the group left the store laughing and joking as the store owner glared at their backs. Killua glanced at him and winked causing the man to instantly change his attitude.

"Come again!" He called out with a forced smile.

"Don't count on it!" Killua cheerily replied.

The man flinched and looked pleased before the door shut, leaving them out on the village street. The sun was now setting and there were less people out than earlier.

"Killua why'd you say that? I like that place," Sakura pouted, holding a bag filled with clothes for herself. What if she wasn't let in the next time she went?

"Well we don't," Shikamaru told her. "In fact, we should boycott it." Him, Choji, and Killua hadn't bought a single item of clothing for themselves.

"Why?" Gon asked, holding his three bags full of his new clothes. "They had some cool stuff in there." Not to mention there were a _lot_ of clothes on sale. That was the only reason he'd allowed Sakura to buy him clothes, even though he paid for some himself. He wouldn't feel right having her spend too much on him.

"Because of the way the owner treated Naruto," Choji replied, now eating BBQ chips. "While you guys were off on your own, the owner tried to kick Naruto out and kick us out because we were his friends. He even called him a demon..."

Shikamaru and Sakura noticed that both Naruto and Gon tensed, but for different reasons. Naruto had sunken into himself slightly with a frustrated face while Gon looked more on the angry side.

Killua, who walked next to Gon, put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Calm down stupid. I already handled it." He wouldn't put it past his friend to storm back in there and give the store owner a piece of his mind. "Besides, look." He pointed at the two bags in Naruto's hands. "We got clothes for Naruto. Mission accomplished. All's well that ends well."

Gon took a deep breath and nodded with a small smile. Sakura and Shikamaru found the exchange curious.

"Naruto..." Sakura called out softly. He turned to her with a slightly guarded expression. "Do you know why he was being mean to you? I mean... I've heard the villagers talk about you but..."

"The guy called you a demon," Shikamaru finished. "That's very specific word choice. Doesn't really fit a prankster."

Naruto's jaw tightened and he turned back to the road while Gon put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Killua side-eyed Sakura and Shikamaru. He doubted Naruto was comfortable enough to tell the others yet, so Killua decided to cover for him.

"Let's just say there's some nasty rumors about Naruto because the villagers don't like how he acts. So they all hate him. It's stupid, if you ask me," he said.

Sakura nodded and came to stand next to Naruto. "Don't worry Naruto!" She said, trying to cheer him up. "You don't need to worry about them! You've got us, right?" The rest of them agreed wholeheartedly.

Naruto looked her in the eye and let his guarded expression drop slowly, a small smile replacing it. "Yeah, thanks guys. Sorry for being so quiet. It's not like me." He looked to Killua. "I owe you one especially, Killua."

Killua raised an eyebrow at him. "Why's that?"

Naruto held up his two bags with a grin. "Why else? You helped buy my clothes!" He looked at the sky. "I haven't gotten money to afford anything more than ramen for a while now, so thanks. It means a lot." He turned to Shikamaru and Choji. "And thanks to you guys too. You were going to chip in before Killua said he would handle it."

Shikamaru shrugged and looked away, muttering, "Troublesome."

The others busted into laughter and engaged in conversation, but only Gon and Killua noticed the raven-haired boy that was watching them from the sidelines.

* * *

After a while of walking around, it had gotten dark outside. The village lights illuminated the five kids as they came to a stop.

"Well... it's about time I get home," Shikamaru said. He turned to Choji. "You too, right Choji?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah, my dad is probably wondering where I'm at right about now. He'll be pretty chill though."

Shikamaru sighed. "My mom expected me hours ago. It's close to dinnertime now. Troublesome woman is probably throwing a fit."

Naruto remained silent and looked away.

Sakura jumped. "Damn! I forgot all about my mother!" She turned to the others. "She told me to be back home by sundown..."

Killua smirked. "You act like you were going to listen to her even if you remembered."

Gon chuckled. "Good one Killua!"

Sakura rolled her eyes at the two. "Whatever. Well, since I'm already late, I might as well go run an errand real fast." She gave each of the boys a hug, and once she got to Naruto and saw his downcast face, she gave him an especially comforting hug. "Don't look so down Naruto! This won't be the last time we hang out like this! And I'll see you tomorrow at team training. Promise!"

Naruto smiled and hugged back, nodding. "Yeah. We gotta tell the bastard about all the things he missed."

Sakura chuckled a bit, pulling away. "I doubt he would be interested in stuff like this."

Gon and Killua made eye-contact, but chose not to comment.

Little did the others know that the Uchiha had been watching them for a while. He'd left only a few minutes ago.

"Anyways, gotta run boys!" Sakura said, jogging down the street. She glanced back. "Don't be strangers you guys! We should do this more often!"

The boys said their goodbyes before turning to face each other.

"Well, it's a drag, but it's been fun. Like Sakura said, we should do this again sometime soon." Shikamaru said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away.

Choji nodded. "Yeah. I wish we could've started hanging out like this sooner. Usually it's just me and Shikamaru."

"There used to be more people in our group until... things happened," Shikamaru said, looking pointedly at Naruto.

Naruto looked away. "You guys know that had nothing to do with me."

Shikamaru sighed. "Naruto, you know me and Choji would've still been friends with you right?"

Choji put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "He's right. You've been acting really distant ever since then... we're glad you're opening up again." He backed up and chuckled a bit. "The troublemaker stuff was getting old."

Gon and Killua were lost, but they didn't want to interrupt the interaction.

Naruto huffed but smiled a bit. "You know damn well my troublemaking led to some funny moments."

Choji and Shikamaru smirked. "Yeah, in the academy," Shikamaru said.

"Things are different now, but you're different too. In a good way! And you seem happier lately. We're glad." Choji said, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly.

Naruto looked at them closely and pulled a protesting Shikamaru and laughing Choji into a group hug. "I really missed you guys..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah idiot..." Shikamaru mumbled.

"We missed you too!" Choji chuckled, hugging back.

Gon and Killua looked at each other and Gon pulled Killua into a hug.

"Hey! What they hell are you doing?"

"What? They're doing it too," Gon said innocently.

Killua saw the sides of Gon's mouth twitching upwards and knew he was messing with him. He grabbed Gon's neck and put him in a headlock, giving him a noogie.

"Oh yeah? We'll now we're doing this!" Gon just laughed mirthfully in response.

Naruto and the others turned to look at the boys and joined in on the laughter. The villagers that walked by either looked on with a smile or sent a glare towards Naruto, but nevertheless it was a nice moment for each of the boys.

After sobering up, Shikamaru and Choji began walking away, one saluting with a lazy smirk and the other happily waving goodbye, promising to meet up again.

Now it was only Gon, Killua and Naruto.

"What should we do now?" Gon asked Killua. "It's not like Bisky is waiting up for us at home or anything."

Killua shrugged. "Even if she was, I'd stay out just to piss her off."

Naruto looked at them curiously. "You guys live with your teammate?"

The two Hunters turned to him. "We live in the apartment across from her, but we spend a lot of time in each other's apartments," Killua replied.

Gon nodded. "She cooks us dinner a lot of the time too."

Naruto hummed and looked at the sky. "Must be nice..."

The boys remembered that Naruto was an orphan and didn't have anyone waiting for him at home.

So wordlessly, through eye-contact, they decided to keep him company to take his mind off that fact.

"Hey Naruto," Gon started. "You wanna come back to our place?"

Naruto looked at him in shock. "Huh?"

"Do you want to come with us stupid?" Killua repeated. "You can sleep over too. We have two beds, me and Gon could share one."

Gon nodded in agreement.

Naruto started stuttering. "B-but it's.. but—"

"It's no big deal, come on." Killua grabbed Naruto's arm and started dragging the surprised boy along. Gon followed with a smile.

"Wait!" Naruto said.

Killua halted and looked back at him. "What is it? You don't want to come?"

Naruto shook his head with a sheepish grin. "Nah, it's just that... I don't feel comfortable sleeping without my pajamas so... can I run to my apartment real quick?"

Gon and Killua stared at him in silence for a few moments before busting out laughing. Naruto blushed in embarrassment and was about to yell at them but Gon patted him on the shoulder.

"We'll come with you Naruto," he said, still having an amused grin on his face.

Killua nodded, starting to sober up. "It's better this way. You can bring a change of clothes and other things like a tooth brush and towel. You have a team meeting tomorrow right?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, this way I don't have to go back home first in the morning." He paused for a moment before grinning at the two and pulling them into a tight hug.

"Hey!" Killua protested.

Gon just patted him on the back and chuckled without a care.

Naruto let them go quickly and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Sorry, it's just..." He turned away. "Nobody's ever treated me this normally... I was friends with Shikamaru, Choji, and... Kiba when I was younger, but it was more of us being partners in crime at the academy. I didn't really get invited to hang out after school with them or go to their houses or anything like that... I can't imagine people would want me in their house after all."

Gon and Killua just waited for him to continue in silence. He seemed like he needed to get something off his chest.

He sighed and looked up at the stars. "Me and Kiba were the troublemakers, Choji followed along to have fun, and Shika always got dragged in by Choji. It was all fun and games back then..." He turned back to them with a grateful smile. "But I never felt like they actually understood me like you two do, you know? Hell, I didn't even understand myself for a long time. I'm still trying to, especially with the whole demon fox business but..." He took a deep breath. "I guess... I just wanted to thank you guys. Even with everything you found out about me, you still treat me as a friend. A real friend. It... really means a lot."

Gon smiled at him while Killua looked away, embarrassed. "Yeah, yeah, don't say it like you're a charity case. Anyway, let's get going."

Naruto chuckled and started walking towards his house, his two friends right behind him. "Right!"

The three boys engaged in casual conversation on their way to Naruto's home. A few weeks ago, Naruto wouldn't have imagined he could have friends like this, he was so used to toughing it out alone. He really, really hoped this happiness he felt would last.

But if there was one thing he learned from past experience, it's that happiness is temporary.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sakura had just entered the library and was currently going through scrolls in the ' _C_ ' section. Thankfully, this library was open 24 hours so it can accommodate ninja that are busy during the day. She had all the time in the world to find something of use.

She had finally arrived at the books that had 'chakra' as a key word. Taking a few of them off the shelf and setting them on a nearby table, she looked at each of the titles.

 _"Ok, let's see..."_ she thought.

' _Chakra for Beginners'_

 _'The Chakra Network'_

 _'In Depth: Chakra and The Ninjutsu Process'_

 _'Chakra Molding and Control: Advanced Edition'_

She had a feeling that she knew everything in the first book, so she started off by skimming through the second one, ' _The Chakra Network_.' It was filled with many visual images and diagrams, making things simpler to understand. She was definitely taking this book. Knowing exactly how chakra flows through and affects the body would be useful.

 _"The anatomy lessons are cool too... that's a bonus."_

' _In Depth: Chakra and The Ninjutsu Process_ ' seemed _very_ interesting. Just from the table of contents, she saw information on shape transformation, elemental chakra, healing chakra, and... jutsu shortcuts? What was that? Turning to the page listed, she briefly skimmed through the passage, her eyes widening as she went along.

 _"So apparently, if a ninja practices a jutsu to the point where they memorize how their chakra flows to activate it, they could lessen the hand seals needed to use it or even get rid of hand signs all together! Amazing!"_

She would _definitely_ have to look into that... she already had a few ideas. This was exciting stuff.

Moving on to ' _Chakra Molding and Control: Advanced Edition_ ', she realized she had hit the jackpot. Scrolling through the table of contents, she saw info on chakra enhancement, chakra sensing, chakra concentration, chakra transmutation, chakra emission, and the main thing she'd been looking for: chakra aura.

She had always been a bookworm and enjoyed learning new things, but at the prospect of learning all this? She was shaking with excitement.

Kakashi had said that the tree-climbing exercise was supposed to be difficult and required a lot of skill, but she did it on her first try. Not to be cocky, but that meant that her talent with chakra control was far above average. She had a good shot at learning at least some of this stuff quickly.

But, she decided to take a step back. Chakra Aura was clearly more advanced than some of the other applications of chakra, so she would save it for later down the line. For now, she should focus primarily on chakra sensing and... chakra enhancement. She was still lacking on the physical side when compared to her teammates, so learning to amplify her body with chakra could help with that.

She sighed. _"And to think, I'll still have to do team training, missions, my own physical training, and other things along with learning all this. I've got my work cut out for me."_

Despite this, she picked up the three books and brought them over to the librarian at the front counter. The dark brown-haired man had fell asleep while leaning on the desk, drool falling past his beard and all. She supposed she couldn't blame him since there was no one really in here but her. She got a bit annoyed when she saw the sake bottles behind him, meaning he'd been drinking on the job again, but she brushed it off.

She tapped him lightly on the forehead. "Mr. Sakaki. Wake up."

The man jolted and looked around. "Wha–huh?" He looked down at her and she waved with a bashful grin. He sighed and rubbed sleep out of his eyes. "Oh, it's just you again brat. Do your parents approve of you being out so late?"

She huffed. "I'm a ninja now, I doubt this will be the last time I'm out late. Besides, I'm only at the library."

Sakaki hummed and took the books from her, reading the covers with curious eyes. "Well I'll be damned. Seems you really are growing up." He looked to her with a raised brow and a mocking smirk. "No more romance novels?"

Sakura blushed with embarrassment and lightly slapped her library card on the counter. "Can we just hurry this up old man?!"

"Old? I'm only twenty-eight."

"Keep drinking your life away and you might not live to see thirty." She met his eyes with a challenge.

He let out an amused chuckle. "Touché."

"I'm serious," she said. "We've talked about this!"

He sighed. "I appreciate it kid... almost. But I'm fine. I only drank tonight because I was bored."

She rolled her eyes. "You're always bored."

He grinned. "Can't argue with that."

He lazily rung her up, placing the books in a large paper bag and handing it to her. "Enjoy," he said sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes and took the bag, walking to the exit. "Thanks, I will."

"Get home safe kid," The man added, waving goodbye.

She turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Oh? Is that concern I hear?"

He shrugged. "It's late. The village is usually peaceful, but there's a lotta assholes that come out at night. Just watch yourself."

Sakura smirked and winked at him. "Ninja, remember?"

She walked out the library and began making her way home, thinking about all she would learn from the books.

Sasuke was right. She really should've been doing her own studies outside the academy. Who needs romance novels anyway?

 _ **"We're going to be SO badass!"**_

Sakura grinned. For once, she had no problems agreeing with her inner self.

* * *

 _Ring._

 _Ring._

Why was he doing this?

 _Ring._

 _Ring._

He was their friend too, he deserved to know.

 _Ring._

But still... maybe he shoul–

 _"Kurapika?!"_

Damn, his time to hang up had expired.

 _"Do you know how many times I've called you?! Where the HELL have you been?!"_

Kurapika let out a sigh. "I've been... busy, Leorio."

He heard Leorio scoff over the line. _"Busy, huh? Too busy to answer your phone once out of a thousand times?"_ Leorio paused and Kurapika could hear traffic in the background. Was the man driving?

Leorio suddenly spoke again more quietly. _"How am I supposed to know if you're okay or not? I get worried, you know."_

Kurapika let out another, more annoyed sigh, filled slightly with guilt. "Look, Leorio, we can speak about this later. I called you for something far more important."

 _"And what could be more important than knowing that you're okay?"_

"The fact that right now, your other friends aren't exactly okay."

 _"What...?"_ Leorio questioned.

"It's Gon and Killua," Kurapika said. "Apparently, they're trapped in another realm, sent there by Nen. I've been assigned to a mission to bring them back by Chairman Netero."

For a few moments, Kurapika heard nothing but the sounds of traffic coming from the other line.

After a while, he heard the sound of a car pulling over and coming to a halt.

He pulled his phone away from his ear, already knowing what was coming.

" _WHAAAT?!_ "

And there it is.

Kurapika let out yet another sigh. This would be a long conversation, wouldn't it?

* * *

 **Chapter 13 End**

I don't know if any of you noticed, but I stopped using honorifics ( _-san, -chan, -kun,_ etc.). At first I used them to show relationships between characters, but they're kind of hard to remember sometimes. They're not necessary, so from here on I'll just stop using them to make things simpler.

Anyways, thanks for reading!


	14. Dinner x is x Served

I apologize for the long wait, these last couple of weeks have been really hectic. I was honestly supposed to edit and upload this a few weeks ago, but life happened. I've taken the time to start writing the next chapter, so I'll try to update more regularly.

Thanks to those who read and those who leave reviews! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter or Naruto.

* * *

 **Dinner x is x Served**

* * *

"Good morning Sakura... Sleep well?"

In hindsight, Sakura should've known that coming home late last night wouldn't end well.

She took one look at her mother, who was calmly placing three plates of riceballs on the table, and knew the woman was going to be insufferable to deal with. She was doing that thing where she acted nice, but was really about to chew somebody out.

Sakura sighed. "Yes mom. I did." She turned to Kizashi who sat at the table. "Morning dad."

Her father greeted back with a "Morning sweetheart."

She walked over to the table and took a seat across from him. As much as she wanted to get going to meet up with her team, she knew her parents wouldn't appreciate her constantly skipping breakfast. That, and she had a feeling that her mother wouldn't let her leave anyway.

"Did you really sleep well?" Mebuki questioned, taking her own seat at the table next to Kizashi and across from Sakura. "Because if I didn't know better, I'd think you stayed up pretty late reading those books you came in with last night."

Sakura carefully took a bite of a rice ball, maintaining a neutral expression. But internally, she was thrown the hell off. _"How did she..."_

 _ **"Leave it to your mother to be psychic at a time like this!"**_ Inner Sakura exclaimed.

 _"Our mother."_

She sighed and met her mother's eye. "I didn't stay up too late. I just skimmed through some of them." She returned her attention to her food but could still see her parents staring from the corner of her eye. "Could we drop this? You already scolded me enough last night when I got home."

"Who decided that?" Mebuki questioned. "I decide whether or not I've scolded you enough. And right now, I can tell that you haven't learned your lesson. You'd do it again with no regret."

Sakura raised an eyebrow but waited until she was done chewing to speak. "You're talking like I committed a crime. I lost track of time, I came home right after I realized I was late. And I was at the _library_. How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?"

Mebuki narrowed her eyes. "That's the problem. You're not sorry at all."

"But-"

"Sakura," Kizashi chided. "Listen when your mother is talking."

Sakura huffed but stayed silent. She didn't want to fight with her father, she usually didn't have a problem with him. She didn't want to create a problem over something petty.

"Thank you." He turned to Mebuki. "Continue honey," he said, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. It made Sakura's eye twitch slightly.

Mebuki, with a nod to Kizashi, began speaking again. "Sakura, I know you think you can do whatever you want because you're a ninja and ninjas are considered adults no matter the age, but you're still a child. A person's brain doesn't fully develop until they're in their twenties. You're only twelve Sakura. You-"

"I'll be thirteen in two weeks..." Sakura cuts in quietly.

Mebuki narrows her eyes. "Bottom line, you're growing up too fast. And I've noticed that recently, you've been getting much more bold with this type of behavior. I'm positive those two foreigner boys are the main reason."

Sakura started rubbing her temples.

 _ **"It's way too early for this."**_

"Why drag Gon and Killua into this? How can they be responsible for _my_ behavior?" Sakura demanded.

Mebuki leveled her with an intent gaze while Kizashi looked cautiously between the two. "Don't act dumb Sakura. You're a very smart girl. I'm sure you have enough self-awareness to see that those boys have had a big impact on your personality in a small amount of time. You may have been a little sassy before, but you didn't openly and continuously defy rules like this. Nor have you taken becoming a ninja seriously like you do now."

It was true, Sakura knew. Gon and Killua did have an impact on her, but didn't they have this conversation already? Why couldn't her mother understand?

"You ever thought that I was always like this on the inside?" Sakura questioned. "That maybe I had no real friends before, no real motivation, so I had no reason to stay out past curfew or lie about going to Ino's house until now?"

She placed her hands on the table and leaned forward, locking eyes with her mother. "Gon and Killua haven't made me a whole new person... they just helped me to be myself more. They treated me like an equal from the start, never looked down on me or treated me like some worthless girl... and maybe that helped my confidence a bit! But is that such a bad thing? Do you want me to be the meek little girl like I used to be? Following others around and obeying instead of thinking for herself?"

There was a beat of silence where her parents just stared at her- one with surprise and the other with indifference.

"Sakura-" Kizashi started.

"Your confidence isn't the problem. It's just being manifested wrong," Mebuki said. "You shouldn't be confident enough to repeatedly disobey your parents at your age. If those boys gave you that type of confidence, I don't want you around them."

Sakura's eyes widened. "What? You can't make me stop being friends with Gon and Killua!" Even Kizashi looked at Mebuki with bewilderment.

"I know," Mebuki simply said. "Even if I told you stop seeing them, you wouldn't listen anyway. There's no point trying to stop you. However..." She folded her hands on the table. "...I want to make sure you won't be negatively influenced by anyone else, especially the ones you'll be around most often. So... I want you to invite your team over for dinner tonight."

Silence.

 ** _"The tea has been served,"_** Inner Sakura quipped.

It was _way_ too early for this.

"Um... ok?" Sakura said. "Why...?"

"I want to make sure your sensei along with the Uzumaki and Uchiha at least have some redeeming qualities and won't have a bad influence." She narrowed her eyes. "Uchiha could turn out to be problematic, but I'm more concerned about Uzumaki. I tried to get the Hokage to take him off your team, but he refused."

Sakura's eyes widened once again. She tried _what_?!

"Whatever you do Sakura, don't trust him. He's not... some normal kid. He's dangerous," Mebuki warned.

Before Sakura could protest, Kizashi spoke up. "She's right Sakura. That boy is not someone you should get close to," he said, a rare stern expression on his face. "Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't be welcome in this house. But we have to confirm whether or not he'll be a guaranteed danger to you."

For a few moments, nobody said another word. Sakura stared down at the table, her face hidden from view.

She tilted her head up and nodded blankly. "Ok, I'll invite them."

They quickly finished their meals in silence and Sakura began heading out. She was shaking as she walked to the front door.

"Thank you for listening Sakura." Kizashi said, patting her on the shoulder. Sakura nodded, not even looking his way before she walked out the door and closed it behind her.

As she walked through the village to the meetup spot, she continued shaking. Her head was bowed and her bottom lip was trembling slightly. To some of the onlookers, it looked like she was on the verge of crying. But Sakura was feeling a very different emotion from sadness at the moment.

 _"How DARE they?!"_ She raged in her mind. _"Talking like that about Naruto when they don't even know him! Like he's some type of monster in disguise!"_ She scoffed to herself. _"He can be a bit mischievous-okay really mischievous... but to say that he's dangerous..."_ She took a deep breath and started calming down, slowly unclenching her fists. _"I don't get it... are his pranks really that bad? All the villagers seem to hate him too... There's no way this can just be about pranks, right? There's got to be more to the story... maybe one of his pranks went really bad by accident?"_

She would have to ask Killua and Shikamaru what they thought of the situation when she got the chance. They could help her break things down.

She sighed and shook those thoughts from her head for now. Instead, she mentally revised what she read from the books last night. She had skimmed through a passage on basic chakra sensing and remembered it said something about how she has to get more in tune with her own chakra first in order to better sense the chakra of others. Mindfulness and meditation is involved.

Closing her eyes, she focused on the faint feeling of the small amount of chakra surrounding her body. She vaguely felt the presence of the villagers around her, but made no attempt to dwell on that feeling. She focused solely on her own chakra flow and put effort into memorizing the vibe it gives off, everything else was just background noise.

While walking, she slowly shifted her focus from her own chakra and focused on the similar sensation coming from those around her. The chakra signatures of civilians were much fainter, but still had presence. She slowly made her way through the crowds with her eyes closed until she got to a forest area and away from people.

Now, she focused more intently on her surroundings. The breeze that blew past her face, the grass and trees that surrounded her, even the squirrels climbing around. She tried to maintain a meditative state and keep her mind clear—lest she lose the focus she was trying so hard to maintain. This was her way of training, after all.

After a few minutes of walking in a meditative state, only opening her eyes once in a while to make sure she was on the right track, she arrived at the bridge. She sensed her teammates before she saw them. Opening her eyes, she saw Sasuke leaning over the rail, staring out at the water. Naruto was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed a few feet next to Sasuke. He was most likely doing visualization and image training.

"Good morning boys," she greeted, waving with a smile when they both turned to look at her.

Naruto smiled and waved back. "Morning Sakura!" Sasuke just nodded at her curtly before turning back to the river.

She walked up and sat between the boys, leaning back against the rail. "Looks like Kakashi-sensei will be late again."

Naruto shrugged. "Probably." He scratched his chin and looked at her. "So how'd it go yesterday?"

When Sakura raised a brow out him, he continued. "Did your mother get mad at you for getting home late?"

Sakura sighed and looked to the sky. "Yeah... you could say that." She was about to add a comment about how annoying her mother was, but realized how insensitive it would've been.

 _ **"Don't speak bad about parents while next to two orphans... check!"**_

Sakura fought the urge to roll her eyes at her Inner. _"Noted."_

She turned back to Naruto, who was watching her curiously. "What about you? What did you guys do after I left?"

Naruto shrugged and looked ahead. "Shikamaru and Choji talked for a bit, but they pretty much left after you. And then..." he grinned and got a distant look in his eyes, but said nothing.

Sakura waved a hand in front his face. "Hello? Earth to Naruto?" Naruto snapped out of it and looked at her. "What? Did you get a girlfriend or something?" She could've sworn she heard Sasuke scoff quietly behind her, but she didn't dwell on it.

Naruto blushed but shook his head furiously. "No! I was just remembering yesterday... you see, I had a sleepover with Gon and Killua."

Sakura blinked, but smiled after a moment. "Really? What'd you guys do? Up to some mischief?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Well first we headed back to my apartment to get some of my things... but when we got to their apartment, Killua made me and Gon try on some of the new clothes we got." He chuckled to himself slightly. "That was pretty fun. I was gonna wear some of them today, but I kinda forgot this morning..."

Sakura chuckled. That sounded like Naruto.

"Anyways," he continued. "After that, we talked for a while and told each other stories. Did you know that Killua's family put him through stealth training since he was three? And that Gon fought a creepy clown guy who was super strong?" He asked excitedly. "They told me all sorts of cool stuff!"

Sakura found herself intrigued. "No, they haven't told me about any of that. I knew they probably had some crazy stories, but I didn't want to pry about specifics."

She had a feeling Sasuke was paying close attention to the conversation, especially at the mention of Killua's stealth training.

Naruto had an admiring look in his eye. "They've done so much and they're only our age! They started traveling the world at 11 years old!"

Sakura hummed. So they've only been traveling for around a year probably. She was curious to know how much exactly could've happened during that time.

"I'm surprised they didn't make you play shogi with them," Sakura commented.

Naruto made an embarrassed face. "They did."

Sakura stifled a chuckle. "Killua was beating both of you over and over wasn't he?"

Naruto stood up with a huff. "It was no fair. He's either a cheater, a shogi master, or just super smart. Either way, losing to him doesn't count."

She raised an eyebrow. "So did you manage to beat Gon?"

"Only once out of like, four times..." Naruto said. "But only because Killua helped me. He started whispering math problems into Gon's ear and then Gon's head started... steaming?"

Sakura busted out laughing. Killua was so devious, he'd done that to Gon so many times. God how she wished she was there to see that again.

Naruto grinned and shook his head. "I never expected Gon to be the type to be into shogi anyway, but he said he likes the challenge and that it's kind of like training your mind..." He scratched the back of his head. "How could I argue with that? He convinced me to want to start playing it..."

After a beat of silence, Naruto spoke again.

"Hey, speaking of training, aren't we supposed to run laps right now?" Naruto inquired.

Sakura tensed. "I forgot about that." She really didn't feel like doing that—not with the morning she's had so far. Her parents had worn her down and the semi-meditation she did put her in a relaxed state that she didn't want to ruin.

Sasuke stood from the railing and began walking off the bridge.

"Sasuke?" Sakura questioned.

"Where are you going?" Naruto demanded, standing up.

Sasuke stopped and turned to face them with a slightly annoyed expression. "To start running. Come or stay, doesn't matter to me." He turned and began jogging, turning right once off the bridge.

Sakura raised a brow. She was pretty sure he knew they were supposed to be running, so why didn't he say anything? Or why didn't he start running sooner?

 _ **"Obviously, he wanted to eavesdrop."**_

Sakura pondered that for a moment and decided that her Inner was probably right, as out of character as it sounds for Sasuke. But instead of thinking more about that, she turned to Naruto.

"Might as well," Sakura sighed, already running after Sasuke.

"Hey! Wait up!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Gon and Killua had just left their own apartment and were walking through the village, heading to their team meeting.

Killua watched as Gon walked with a spring in his step and a bright smile. He was wearing some of the new clothes Sakura bought him—a navy blue t-shirt, dark green shorts that cut right above the knees, and blue shinobi sandals. He also donned his Paladin's Necklace and his Leaf Village headband was tied around his left arm.

"What's got you so upbeat?" Killua asked with a raised brow. He himself was wearing a blue tank top, brown shorts, and his usual sneakers with his Leaf headband tied around his neck.

Gon looked at him and smiled brighter. "Nothing, I was just thinking about last night! Having Naruto over was really fun, and he seemed happy."

Killua hummed and turned back to the road. "Of course he was. That's the first sleepover he's ever had, and he's been alone for a long time."

Gon nodded. "I never had a sleepover either until that time I brought you to Whale Island with me. That was a lot of fun too."

Killua's lips tilted upward slightly. "Yeah... it was."

What he didn't say is that he wouldn't have minded spending his life there with Gon and his family. Even if things wouldn't be as interesting. But then again, he was also very glad to have met Bisky and all the friends they've made in the Leaf Village.

"We should invite Naruto over more often," Killua said instead.

Gon made a sound of agreement, but seemed to have something on his mind. "Hey..."

"What's up?" Killua asked.

"What if we—"

"Oi! Boys!"

Gon and Killua turned to see Bisky walking up to them from down the street. She wore one of her usual pink dresses with her hair styled into a ponytail.

"Bisky?" Gon said.

"Morning hag."

Bisky's eye twitched at Killua's greeting, but she ignored it. "What are you two doing strolling so leisurely? Kite's waiting you know!"

"You weren't exactly in a hurry yourself... and you were further behind than us..." Killua pointed out.

"So? You're the ones doing the missions and training anyway, not me." Bisky said pointedly. She got in their faces and raised a finger.

"The number #1!" They both called out, their eyes glowing with the aura from _Gyo_.

She hummed slowly. "Good. You aren't slacking, and you're vigilant even though it's early." She began walking past them. "Come on. While we're on our way, I want you to practice the genjutsu dispelling technique with _Gyo_. I want you to have it down by the end of the month."

Gon looked at Killua, who had a very dry expression. "We _do_ need to know how to do that since we'll be fighting ninja... We should listen, every moment of training counts."

"I know, I know," Killua whispered, huffing at Bisky's back. "But we were _talking_ about _something_ before she just _waltzed over_!" He purposely raised his voice with emphasis so she could hear.

Bisky huffed but kept walking. "Idiot. You two have all the time in the world to talk. You go everywhere together and live in the same apartment for crying out loud. Do that on your own time."

Gon laughed nervously as Killua growled. "It's okay Killua. I won't forget. I'll tell you later. Promise." He held up a pinky.

Killua looked at the pinky and back to Gon's face before sighing. "Okay." He wrapped his pinky around Gon's and suddenly, the boy started chanting.

"I-pinky-swear-that-I'll-remember-to-tell-Killua-later!"

"Gon."

"If-I-break-my-promise-I-have-to-swallow-a-thousand-needles!"

"Gon..."

"Sealed with a ki—"

" _Gon_."

"Yeah?"

"Stop."

Whack!

Whack!

"Are you two deaf? Gyo practice! Start now!" Bisky scolded loudly, scaring off nearby villagers.

"Osu…" the boys groaned, rubbing the new bumps on their heads before following her order.

* * *

Pant.

This was ridiculous.

Pant.

Honestly, ridiculous.

Pant.

As she glanced behind her to see her sensei chasing her and her teammates with a dangerous glint in his eye and a kunai in hand, Sakura couldn't help but wonder how they got to this point in three and a half hours.

She looked beside her at the fearful Naruto and the annoyed Sasuke, and her mind wandered back to what happened...

* * *

 _After three hours of them running laps, doing basic physical training and even practicing their own individual interests, Kakashi finally showed up at the bridge. Naruto had his eyes closed practicing visualization, Sasuke was off the bridge practicing with shuriken, and Sakura was reading one of the chakra books. Sakura was the first to notice Kakashi._

 _Her head turned in the direction she sensed a presence. "You're late!"_

 _Kakashi stood there with his signature book in hand, reading casually as if he wasn't three hours late. He glanced up at Sakura and gave her a casual wave._

 _"Yo."_

 _Sakura's eye twitched as the man placed the book in his back pouch._

 _"Hey Kaka-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed, running up to the man and enveloping him in a hug. Sakura raised an eyebrow at that._

 _Kakashi, too, looked caught off guard. "Hey there Naruto," he said, awkwardly patting his head with one hand. When Naruto let go, he looked up at the man with an excited grin._

 _"I think I'm getting the hang of this visualizing and memorizing thing for the true transformation jutsu!" He said, making a fist. "I've been using shadow clones to study objects for me and so far it's been working! Pretty clever huh?"_

 _Kakashi blinked. "That actually is pretty clever, Naruto. That didn't even cross my mind." He looked at the boy curiously. "Did you do it over night?"_

 _Naruto nodded. "Yeah, with about ten clones. I tried twenty for a while, but it's kind of hard to sleep with because of how heavy my head feels." He paused before adding, "I even have some back at my apartment studying right now."_

 _Kakashi patted him on the head approvingly. "Using that method, you'll be able to get the jutsu down quicker. Nice going, Naruto."_

 _Naruto beamed at the praise._

 _"Well at least Kakashi-sensei's doing wonders for Naruto's confidence," Sakura thought._

 _At that moment, Sasuke walked back onto the bridge in silence._

 _"Good morning Sasuke," Kakashi greeted._

 _"...It's not morning anymore," Sasuke replied dryly. Sakura had to stifle a laugh at that._

 _Kakashi rubbed the back of his head in fake embarrassment. "You don't say? My bad, you see, an old lady—"_

 _"Save the practiced speech sensei."_

 _Kakashi's gaze turned to Sakura. "Practiced? But I come up with my speeches as I go."_

 _Sakura squinted at him. "I doubt it. I don't know where you go when you're not here, but you probably spend extra time thinking up excuses."_

 _Naruto laughed. "Kaka-sensei probably spends all that time reading that book!"_

 _Sakura saw Sasuke's eyes narrow beside her. She got the idea the boy would be very upset if that was true._

 _"Why do you read that book so much anyway?" Sakura questioned with a raised brow. "Are you really that perverted or..."_

 _Kakashi turned to Sakura. "The thing is..."_

 _While he was distracted, Naruto went behind him and took the book out of his pouch. He leaped away when Kakashi took a swipe at him._

 _"Woah!" Naruto exclaimed, landing on the bridge railing. Even though it seemed to be an instinct, Kakashi almost knocked him in the face._

 _Kakashi's eyes were intently locked on the book. "What are you doing Naruto?"_

 _His quiet tone of voice sent shivers down the three genin's spines. Was he really that protective of a book?_

 _"I-I... I just wanted to see the book..." Naruto stuttered, faced with Kakashi's piercing gaze. "Besides, you sensed me going behind you right? I didn't think I'd actually be able to get it."_

 _Sakura was sure Kakashi did sense Naruto, but either didn't pay him much mind or thought the boy was just going to hug him again or something._

 _Kakashi took a purposeful step toward Naruto without saying a word._

 _"Naruto, give him back the book," Sakura scolded. She really didn't want the boy make their sensei upset._

 _Naruto, with his feet and one hand placed on the railing, held out the book with his other hand. "Here you go sens-"_

 _Out of nowhere, bird poop hit Naruto on the head and he fell backwards off the railing with a yelp._

 _Sakura and Sasuke got to the railing in time to see Naruto plop into the water, Make-Out Paradise book still in hand._

 _At that moment, they both felt a malicious intent from behind them. They turned to look back at Kakashi, but the man was already gone. They then turned back to the water when they heard a splash but saw nothing there._

 _"You have five seconds to start running."_

 _Sakura and Sasuke flinched, turning around once again to see a soaked Kakashi with an unamused expression holding a wet Make-Out Paradise book in hand. At his feet, an equally soaked Naruto was furiously wiping at his head._

 _"Wait a minute sensei—"_

 _"Five."_

 _Sakura shivered. What was with the scary mood shift? Is he for real? Or is this another test?_

 _"Four."_

 _Sakura grabbed Naruto by the collar and began dragging him away, channeling chakra into her legs._

 _"Sakura? What are you—"_

 _"Get up idiot!"_

 _"Three."_

 _Naruto got up from the ground and began running beside them, still trying to wipe the bird poop off._

 _"Two."_

 _Sakura glanced behind her to see Sasuke in tow with an annoyed expression directed at Naruto. Honestly, she was on the same page as him._

 _Pouring chakra into her legs, she mentally prayed that this would at least bring them together more as a team._

 _"One."_

* * *

And about forty minutes later, they're alive, but still running. She could tell Kakashi was taking it easy on them, and she was grateful to know he hasn't _completely_ lost it.

But still, the fact that he was barking commands at them and throwing kunai tells her that he's at least lost it a little.

 _ **"Scratch that! A LOT!"**_ Inner Sakura exclaimed.

Sakura had to agree, but she couldn't help but place some of the blame for their predicament on her blonde teammate. She turned to him with annoyance showing in her expression.

"Why the hell did you have to take the book, idiot?!" She'd already asked that question multiple times in the past forty minutes, but she had to ask again.

Naruto, who was fearful to an extent and had just dodged another kunai, turned to face her. "I'm sorry, okay?! It's the damn bird's fault!"

She sighed. Holding on to her annoyance helped her run faster, but it was hard to stay mad at the boy.

"Don't blame the bird loser. Why would you stay on top the rail anyway?" Sasuke said with a scowl as he weaved another kunai.

Naruto glared at him and put up the middle finger. He quickly retracted his hand and yelped as a kunai flew right by it.

"Faster kids!" Kakashi chirped in a false kind voice that made the three of them shiver.

"This guy is just too weird!" Sakura exclaims, forcing herself to run faster. "He's usually all laid back and uncaring! Then there'll be times where he switches up and decides to get serious and intense! Now he keeps switching from an angry drill sergeant to a damn psycho!" She tried to take a deep breath to stop her heavy panting, but to no avail. "What's next?!"

Sasuke scoffed, wiping sweat off his brow. "Weird is an understatement. He's a character."

"He's not that bad!" Naruto protested. "It's my fault he's mad anyway..."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Why are you defending him?" He hasn't even been their sensei for five days yet!

Naruto looked at her with an honest expression. "He's a good sensei." She saw Sasuke roll his eyes next to Naruto.

She understood where Sasuke was coming from. It was far too early to come to that conclusion—especially when the man has been chasing and throwing weapons at them for almost an hour. The mood shifts he displays are perplexing to say the least.

"If you say so..." Sakura replied.

"Save your breath. Talking wastes energy," Sasuke told them, running further ahead.

Naruto yelled out at the unspoken challenge and ran after the boy.

Sakura mentally sighed. She didn't have the energy to keep up with them. Her stamina was very low, and she was almost drained. If it wasn't for her training with Gon and Killua as well as the studying she did on chakra enhancement yesterday, she would've fell behind a while ago.

Focusing more chakra into specific parts of her legs, she amplified the muscles and bones, allowing her to speed up and race after the two.

The thought that Kakashi didn't intend to stop anytime soon haunted her.

* * *

An hour later, around 2 PM, Sakura lay panting on the forest floor and close to losing consciousness while Sasuke sat panting against a tree. Kakashi was standing above Naruto, who was on the ground doing push-ups as further punishment.

"497...498...499..." Naruto's arms shook severely on the last push-up as he slowly extended them. "500!" He collapsed face-first, rolling over onto his back to peer up at Kakashi.

"Was that... enough sensei?" He panted.

Kakashi watched him with an unreadable expression. "I didn't expect you to do all of them," he said after a while.

Naruto chuckled a bit. "Yeah... well I said I would do it... so I did it... that's my ninja way after all..." He closed his eyes. "Besides... I kinda deserved it... Sorry about the book sensei... I can buy it back if you want..."

Kakashi said nothing for a while, just watched him with an appraising eye. Sasuke was closely watching the exchange while Sakura was listening nearby, trying to stay awake.

After a few moments, Kakashi kneeled down and ruffled the boy's hair. "No. It's fine, you did good Naruto. It's just a book after all."

Sasuke and Sakura both felt anger and confusion build up in them at those words, but they said nothing.

 ** _"He couldn't have come to that conclusion two hours ago...?"_ **Inner Sakura thought.

Sakura mentally agreed. _"I really don't know what to make of this guy... he's an enigma."_ She opened her eyes to lazily look over at him and Naruto. Naruto was looking up at Kakashi with a happy grin. He seemed a bit _too_ happy for someone who just finished being forced to run for over an hour and then do 500 pushups.

She dragged her gaze over to Kakashi. _"He has a dangerous effect on Naruto..."_

Since Naruto isn't used to receiving love or any type of care from most adults, having a sensei like Kakashi is playing on one of his weaknesses. He clearly looks up to the man, to the point where he thinks highly of what he thinks of him and tries to make a good impression. Like a student trying to get straight As to impress their favorite teacher.

She heard that this was common for orphans, but it made Sakura uneasy.

Not because she thought Kakashi would purposely take advantage of him or anything, no. She could tell that their sensei was genuinely a good guy at heart. But the man seemed to have quite a few issues himself, and she's wary of the effect he could unconsciously have on Naruto. The fact that he doesn't seem to know how to deal with genin or kids in general doesn't help.

It would be so easy for him to hurt Naruto feelings, especially when the boy already seems to have issues with adults. She remembered how withdrawn he was yesterday after he was treated harshly by the clothing store owner. How he tries to hide behind a smile whenever he's walking through the village and the villagers are throwing him looks. Even if he tries to hide it, stuff like that really gets to him. She knows that much.

She might have to talk to Naruto about this later, but she doesn't want to address it randomly. It's not like Kakashi poses danger to Naruto.

"Well, that isn't exactly what I had planned for today, but I guess that wraps up your training." Kakashi said, turning to Sasuke and Sakura. "Meet up tomorrow, same time. You'll have another D-rank."

Before Sakura could even groan, she remembered something important. "Wait!" She groaned from her spot on the floor.

Kakashi, who had just been about to leave, turned to face her. Naruto and Sasuke were waiting for her to speak too.

She took a deep breath. "My mother wanted me to invite my team over for dinner tonight... including my sensei." She knew she didn't sound quite happy about it, but she didn't have the energy to pretend. "So... will you come?"

Kakashi eye-smiled but shook his head. "I appreciate the invite Sakura, but no, I can't unfortunately. I have something to do today. Maybe next time."

Sakura nodded easily. It's not like she particularly wanted him to come. If it were up to her, this dinner wouldn't even be happening. But she knew if nobody came, her mother would do something like show up to one of her team meetings...

The thought made her cringe.

Moving on, she turned to her blonde teammate. "What about you Naruto?"

Naruto, who was still drenched in sweat, looked nervous. "Uh... are you sure your parents want me? I mean... your parents _do_ know that I'm on your team right?"

Sakura nodded with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Yeah...?" She sat up to look at him more closely.

He looked confused. "They do? Really?" He scratched his head. "You sure they know that it's Naruto Uzumaki and not a different Naruto or different Uzumaki?"

"What are you getting at Naruto? Yes they know it's you..." She mentally reasoned that he probably thought her parents hated him like the other villagers.

 _ **"Well he's not wrong,"**_ Inner commented.

Kakashi, who had been listening, put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Trust me when I say your name is unique, and I doubt they found another Uzumaki." Kakashi told him. "Anyways, enjoy dinner kids. I'm off!" Just like that, he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

What. The. Hell.

Why did he sound so cryptic? Why did he seem to try to comfort Naruto? Why did he vanish so quickly?

This man gave the exhausted Sakura a headache, but she couldn't take her eyes off Naruto. The boy was grinning at the spot Kakashi just was.

Sasuke huffed and stood up, looking ready to leave. Sakura had almost forgotten he was there with how quiet he was.

"Sasuke! What about you?" Sakura said hurriedly, not wanting him to feel left out. "Would you come to dinner?"

She already knew he would say no, but at least she asked, right?

"Hn."

Sakura had no idea what that meant.

"She doesn't speak your language, bastard," Naruto said with a small smirk.

After scowling at Naruto for a moment, Sasuke schooled his expression and turned his gaze to Sakura. "Fine."

Sakura and Naruto both tried and failed at hiding their surprise.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and shifted his weight to his other leg. "Just tell me the address so I can get out of here. I have things to do."

After telling both Sasuke and Naruto where she lives and telling them to come at 7, the three all went their separate ways. Naruto offered to accompany Sakura home because she was so tired, but Sakura refused. Instead, she just picked up a nearby wooden stick and used it as a cane to help her walk home.

And if she saw Ino on her way home, it didn't matter.

And if Ino walked past her with no acknowledgement whatsoever, it didn't matter.

All that mattered was that she needed a nice, long bath.

* * *

Naruto was panicking.

No, panicking didn't even describe it.

Naruto was _freaking out_.

First, he gets invited out with friends.

Then, he gets invited to a sleepover.

Now, he's getting invited to a friends house for dinner?

Woah, woah, woah! Things were happening really fast! He only started being friends with Gon, Killua and Sakura less than a week ago!

He had to wonder if this was all some sort of sick joke.

It's not like it'd be the first time he got tricked into thinking he had friends...

Shaking his head, he forced down the bad memories and continued to pace back and forth on his apartment rooftop. Coming up here helped him calm down and think. And right now, he really needed to think.

Because should he even go to the dinner? Would it be rude to not show?

Naruto has never been to a friends house for dinner to meet their parents... what if he makes a fool of himself?

What if they hate him like the other villagers?

Or worse, what if they don't hate him but he screws up and makes them hate him?

What if-

"Hey Naruto!"

"Ah!" Naruto yelped, jumping away from the source of the sound.

"Hey idiot."

Naruto yelped even louder, jumping away from the person that was behind him.

"I think we scared him Killua."

"Duh."

Naruto blinked. Gon and Killua were walking over to him and waving in his face.

"Naruto? You ok?" Gon asked in slight concern. "We didn't mean to scare you. We just wondered what you were doing and came to talk to you."

Naruto, whose heart rate was starting to slow, looked at them in confusion. "How did you know I was up here?"

His building was pretty high, people shouldn't be able to see him from the ground. That's why he came up here, so none of the villagers would bother him.

"We sensed you," Killua said simply.

It took a moment to process, but Naruto looked at them in awe. "Wow, so you guys can do that too?" He asked with a grin. "Kakashi-sensei told me about that."

Gon nodded but Killua spoke up. "So... you gonna tell us why you're up here having an aneurysm?"

"An ana-what?" Naruto asked with a confused face. Gon looked lost too.

Killua sighed. "Nevermind, just spill."

A few minutes later, Naruto had filled them both in on the dinner situation as well as his nervousness and anxiety about the situation.

"You'll do good Naruto!" Gon told him, patting him on the shoulder. "There's no reason Sakura's parents shouldn't like you after they get to know you."

"Well, unless they know about the whole fox seal thing, which I'm sure they do. There's no way they could've lived in this village for so long and not hear about it," Killua said. "The only ones who don't know are the younger generations."

Naruto sat at the edge of the roof and pulled at his hair. "I know! This stupid fox is messing things up for me!" He sighed and put his hands on his knees. "Why can't it bring good luck my way like it did that one time with Mizuki?" He asked rhetorically.

Killua and Gon both raised their eyebrows at that.

"One time with Mizuki?" Killua questioned.

"What do you mean?" Gon asked.

"...I said that out loud?" Naruto asked incredulously. Both boys nodded, causing Naruto to look away. "Look, I didn't mean to keep a secret or anything, I just didn't want you two to be... scared of me or anything. It was just a one time thing, didn't hear from it again after. Swear!"

Killua's eyebrows got higher. "Hear from it? It _spoke_ to you?"

Gon looked shocked, surprised at the implication that it could even communicate with Naruto.

Naruto nodded slowly, putting a hand on his stomach. "When Mizuki put us all under the genjutsu, it was the fox that got me out. It said it couldn't let me die and that I owed it. I tried to talk to it again after that, but I never heard anything. It gave off this weird feeling at the time too, but it only lasted a few seconds. It was kind of... burning? But didn't hurt?" He scratched his head, racking his brain to explain it better. "It'd be red if I gave it a color."

He looked down and clenched his fist a bit. What he didn't tell them was that he had felt that same feeling one time before... and it didn't end well.

The boys just looked at him as if he were something to study instead of something to fear. He didn't know if he should be offended or grateful.

"So basically, you've got a pet demon fox living inside you..." Killua said.

"That can speak to you and give you power..." Gon added.

The two boys looked at each other before grinning. "Cool!" They said together.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at them. Normally people would be afraid of something like this, but they thought it was cool? A small grin spread across his face when he heard Killua say it sounded like something from a manga storyline.

" _Anyways_ ," he started, "The point is, I don't know what to do. Even if I go to the dinner, they might never except me because of the fox..."

Killua shrugged. "Then there's nothing you can do but go. It'll make you seem worse if you don't show up."

Gon nodded. "And Sakura might get mad if you don't show up after saying you would come."

Naruto shivered slightly. He really didn't want Sakura to get mad at him, it had been a few weeks since she'd hit him. He forgot how much her punches hurt.

"Fine," he sighed. "I'll go, but I don't know what to wear." He looked down at his orange jumpsuit. "This isn't something you should wear to dinner... right?" He asked Killua.

Killua raised an eyebrow. "You're asking the wrong person. I wouldn't know what to wear to a dinner." He nodded his head in Gon's direction. "Ask him."

Naruto turned to Gon with slight surprise. "Gon…?"

Gon sheepishly scratched his cheek. "I went with Aunt Mito over to other people's homes for dinner a few times back on Whale-"

"Wave. As in Land of the Waves," Killua cut in, looking pointedly at Gon.

Gon nodded quickly. "Yeah."

Luckily, Naruto didn't look too much into the slip up.

Instead, he asked, "So what do you wear to a dinner?"

Gon tilted his head and looked up, his finger on his chin. "Well, I don't think there's any rule for it... but Aunt Mito said I should just make sure I look presentable."

Naruto's expression became even more lost. "And how do I do that?"

"Ah, well, since you're trying to make Sakura's parents like you... maybe you should wear clothes more like the villagers are wearing?"

Naruto blinked. "Like some of the clothes I tried on last night?" Most of them had been outfits for ninja work, but there had been a few shirts and pairs of pants that were more on the civilian side.

Gon nodded. "Yeah. Sakura's parents are civilians right Killua?"

"Yeah, that's what she's always told us." Killua put his hands in his pockets and turned to Naruto. "What Gon's saying makes sense. Since they're civilians, they'll appreciate it more if you come into their house with something less..." He looked Naruto up and down. "...bold."

Naruto's eye twitched. "I feel like 'bold' really means you think it looks stupid, but ok." He huffed and stood up. "I forgot my clothes over at your apartment anyway. Should we go right now?"

Gon and Killua looked at each other and shrugged before turning back to Naruto.

"Yeah, let's just hope we don't run into our teammate. She might want to help play dress up with you," Killua said.

Gon laughed at that.

"You mean the blonde girl?" Naruto asked curiously, turning and jumping from his apartment roof to a lower level house.

Gon and Killua were right behind him.

"Yeah," Killua responded, him and Gon having easily caught up. "Like you, she seems to have a taste for some... unusual clothes."

 _"Maybe it's a blonde thing..."_ Killua thought to himself, Kurapika's Yorknew outfit coming to mind.

Naruto scoffed. "Oh yeah? Those sneakers you wear are pretty unusual... and those green short shorts Gon usually wears too!"

"What's wrong with them?" Gon mumbled to himself in confusion as he leaped along rooftops.

Killua sighed. "My sneakers might be weird to you, but they're not an unusually bright color. Neither are Gon's shorts. And calling them short shorts is Shikamaru's thing."

Naruto pouted at that, jumping further ahead. "We're all thinking it..."

"Anyways," Killua started, "Gon's shorts aren't really unusual for kids where we're from... I used to wear shorts about the same length too." He pointed his thumb at Gon. "And if you haven't noticed, he's wearing longer shorts today, and a whole new outfit. He's stepped up. Time for you to do the same." He looked pointedly down at Naruto's jumpsuit.

Naruto stuck his tongue out. "Time for _you two_ to step up!" He began jumping farther, trying to leave them behind. "Race ya!"

Gon and Killua followed him at the same pace for a few moments, watching Naruto get further across the village.

Suddenly, Killua grinned mischievously and pushed down on Gon's head before jumping away. "Last one there does 1000 push-ups later!" He called to Gon.

Gon looked up with a challenge in his eyes. "You're on!" He said, leaping after Killua with a smile.

* * *

A few hours later, after the sun had set, Naruto and company arrived in front of Sakura's house. It was a plain-looking two-story home in the middle of the civilian district. Even so, this did nothing to reduce Naruto's growing anxiety. In fact, the light shining through the windows made it worse.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned slightly to face Killua, who was smirking mischievously.

"What now? Got cold feet?"

Naruto huffed and turned away, accidently coming face-to-face with a curious Gon.

"What's wrong Naruto? You're gonna ring the doorbell, right?"

"U-uh, yeah... of course..." Naruto stuttered out. "It's just..."

"We didn't spend the last few hours helping you for you to chicken out now," Killua told him. "You might as well get it over with."

"Yeah!" Gon chimed in, moving to stand in front of Naruto. "Besides, you look great!"

Naruto looked down at his attire. He was wearing a white-button up shirt with the top button loosened, black pants, and black sandals(Killua said shoes would make him look like he's trying too hard). He absentmindedly rubbed at his bare forehead where his headband usually was.

"I agree with Gon. It's simple, but seems appropriate," Killua said.

Naruto looked at him skeptically. "How would you know what's appropriate? You said you've never been over to a dinner like this. And you're not even from this village..."

Killua smirked easily. "I know well enough to not show up wearing one of those kimono outfits like you were trying to do..."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. "Wearing that would be more respectful! It would make a better impression... right?"

"For the last time, no. It's too formal, and it would just look like you're trying too hard." Killua rolled his eyes. "I don't know why you're acting like this is the most important dinner in life. Sakura's parents want to meet her teammates, big deal. If they don't like you, who cares?"

Gon nodded. "Yeah. I told you, you just need to look presentable. And you already do."

"Exactly, what Gon said," Killua agreed. "You're already wearing something you wouldn't normally wear. Don't push it."

Naruto sighed and looked down, nodding at his friends' advice.

Gon patted him on the shoulder, and Naruto looked up to a comforting smile. "Just be yourself!"

Killua coughed. "But not too much like yourself... remember to talk quieter. Oh and eat normally, you eat like a beast. And try to avoid screaming out how you'll be Hokage too."

Gon laughed good-naturedly at Killua's comments and Naruto felt some of his nervousness receding.

He grinned slightly and nodded. "Yeah, got it. I'll do my best."

"Are you going to ring the doorbell or what?"

Naruto along with the two other boys turned to see none other than Sasuke Uchiha. He clearly wasn't taking this nearly as seriously as Naruto, because the only thing that changed about his attire was the black long-sleeve sweater he now wore and the absence of his Leaf headband. He had a slightly annoyed expression with a raised eyebrow, looking Naruto up and down.

Naruto saw the exact moment Sasuke's lips twitched, stifling laughter.

"Trying to make an impression, loser?"

Naruto's eye twitched and he felt the anxiety returning.

This could be bad. He didn't know if he could make it through the whole dinner without letting this nice boy act slip. Sasuke always found a way to get under his skin.

At that moment, Gon walked up to Sasuke, who looked at him with questioning eyes.

Gon held out a hand. "Hi! I'm Gon Freecs! You're Sasuke, right?"

Sasuke looked from Gon's face, to his extended hand. "Yeah," he replied, not taking the hand. He met Gon's eyes coldly. "What do you want?"

"Rude as usual duckhair," Killua commented, drawing Sasuke's gaze to him. "Here Gon is trying to be nice and you have no manners at all."

Sasuke said nothing for a moment, just staring, scrutinizing. Then, he turned his gaze to Gon and did the same thing.

If it were most other people, they would get uncomfortable. But Killua simply raised an eyebrow and Gon tilted his head curiously.

Behind them, Naruto was watching the weird exchange while scratching his head. He didn't really know what was going on right now, but he knew he didn't want to be late for the dinner.

"Guys, I'm going to ring the doorbell," he said to Gon and Killua. "Thanks for all the help. I owe you one."

Gon smiled and Killua just waved him off.

"You don't need to thank us," Killua told him. "Friends are supposed to help friends. It's just what we do." Gon nodded in agreement.

Naruto grinned and nodded at them, missing the slightly confused look on Sasuke's face as he turned to the door.

Before he could even ring the bell, the door swung open. A middle-aged woman with brown hair and a white dress stepped outside. She had a strong posture and when she met his eye, he took a step back at the power in her gaze.

"Are you kids going to stand outside all day?" She questioned with a clipped tone.

"A-ah, no, we were just, I mean..." Naruto stuttered.

"What Naruto is trying to say is that he wanted to wait for Sasuke to get here. Sasuke just arrived," Killua explained easily.

Naruto sighed in relief. Even if that wasn't the reason, he was grateful for the save.

The woman's eyes turned to Killua and gave him a once over before doing the same to Gon. Finally, after sparing a glance to Sasuke, she looked back at Killua.

"I'm guessing you and the boy in green shorts are Gon and Killua, correct?" She asked.

"I'm Gon!" Gon said with a smile and a wave. "Nice to meet you."

The woman stared at him for a moment. "The pleasure's mine." She turned back to Killua. "Then that makes you Killua, correct?"

Killua nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly. He didn't know where she was going with this, but he didn't like her vibe.

"I'm sorry, but you're not welcome to this dinner. This is strictly for my daughter's teammates, which you are not," she said, staring him in the eye. "I'll have to ask you to leave."

"We were just leaving," Killua said, turning around. "We just wanted to walk Naruto here."

The woman looked between Killua, Gon and Naruto. "I see."

Suddenly, everyone heard footsteps coming from behind the woman.

"Mom? What's going..." Sakura stopped and looked around her mother to see the three boys standing outside. "Hey guys," she said in confusion, looking specifically at Gon and Killua.

"Naruto asked us to help him get ready," Killua explained with a smirk.

"And we walked him over here," Gon added with a lifted finger.

A smile spread across Sakura's face, even if her mother finally seeing the boys in person made her nervous.

She turned to Naruto and looked him up and down with a surprised face. "Wow, Naruto. You look nice!"

Naruto blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "T-thanks Sakura." He wasn't used to getting complements.

Sakura felt her mother's eyes on her but ignored it.

She looked towards the back of the group to see Sasuke and waved slightly. "Hi Sasuke, glad you could make it."

Sasuke gave her a nod, but otherwise said nothing.

"My daughter spoke to you, boy. Have some respect," Mebuki told him.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"Mom!" Sakura whisper-shouted.

Killua turned his head and hid a chuckle behind his hand and Gon was just looking around with an interested face. Naruto looked at Sasuke and noticed that the boy's hands were clenched in his pockets. He seemed to be keeping his emotions in check.

"Thank you for having me," Sasuke forced out in a low tone. He schooled his face into a blank expression.

Sakura let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She didn't want conflict before the dinner even started!

Changing the subject, she turned to Gon and Killua. "Since you're already here, do you want to stay for di-"

"Actually," Mebuki cut in, waiting for Sakura to meet her eye. "I believe your friend Killua said they were just leaving." She turned to Killua. "Right?"

Killua narrowed his eyes. "Yeah." He looked at Sakura and Naruto, his expression relaxing slightly. "Later Sakura, Naruto."

Sakura and Naruto both nodded and said "Later." Both were wishing the boys didn't have to leave, especially Naruto. He felt like he was being left to his death.

Killua turned and began walking away. "Come on Gon." Gon looked between Killua and Sakura's mother before waving and following Killua.

"Bye Naruto, bye Sakura," he said. "We'll talk later!"

Naruto nodded and gave him a thumbs up, a nervous grin on his face.

Sakura gave him a small smile and a wave. She could always just drop by their building to have dinner with them and Bisky.

Killua locked eyes with a slightly-smirking Sasuke. He bumped shoulders with him and kept walking, not bothering to look back at the annoyed expression on the Uchiha's face.

Gon tapped Sasuke on the shoulder and smiled when Sasuke's eyes turned to him. "Sorry about that, he's just a bit tense. See you around Sasuke!" Just like that, Gon jogged after Killua.

Sasuke watched in confusion as the boy walked away with Killua. Naruto figured he probably was wondering why Gon even bothered being nice to him even though Killua clearly didn't like him.

That's just the type of guy Gon is.

"Well, come on in," Mebuki said to Naruto and Sasuke, standing aside so they could pass. Sakura moved aside too.

Naruto took a deep breath and walked forward with Sasuke right behind him. Sakura met Naruto's eye and gave him a reassuring smile. That eased his nerves a bit.

Walking along the wooden floor of the walkway, they reached a mat to place their sandals on. Naruto and Sasuke began taking off their sandals while Sakura waited for them and Mebuki walked further into the house.

Once she was sure Mebuki was out of earshot, Sakura turned to them. "Look, I'll be honest. This is gonna suck. My mother is very... hard to deal with, and my father will always follow her lead. But no matter what, can you two try not to act up? Please?"

Sasuke scoffed and looked annoyed for being told what to do. "Whatever."

Naruto gulped and nodded.

"That means eating like a _normal_ human, _Naruto_." Naruto flinched. "That means no disrespectful remarks either Sasuke." Sasuke scoffed once again and turned away. "My mother may be a civilian, but she isn't someone to make an enemy of. She can get kind of... crazy."

"How crazy?" Naruto asked fearfully.

Sakura regarded him for a moment before an evil smirk broke out on her face.

"Pretending to find a bug in her ramen to get Ichiraku shut down crazy."

The horrified look and gasp Naruto gave was priceless. Sakura couldn't keep her composure and busted out laughing. Even Sasuke couldn't keep a small smirk off his face. After Naruto realized it was a joke, he chuckled a bit and blushed in embarrassment.

Sakura sobered up after a few moments. "No, but seriously. Try to behave."

Naruto nodded and Sasuke replied with "Hn."

Sakura led them through the house until they made it to the dining room where her father was already seated at the far end of the round table. Sakura took a seat directly across from him and her teammates sat on either side of her. She could tell they just didn't want to sit next to each other.

She was relieved, it was less likely for them to start bickering this way.

Her father regarded her teammates with a critical eye, leaning forward and folding his hands under his chin. His intense gaze focused especially on Naruto.

Naruto gulped and put a hand on his chest. "Goodnight M-mr. Haruno. I'm-"

"I know who you are," the man cut in, his eyes turning to Sasuke. "I know who you are too Uchiha."

Sasuke had to stop himself from making a cocky remark. "Hn."

Sakura put a hand over her eyes. The tension was already mounting... and her mother wasn't even in the room. She was in the kitchen getting the food.

Normally, when guests are over, Sakura is supposed to help her mother in the kitchen. But she really didn't want to leave her teammates alone with her father. Especially not with how nervous Naruto clearly is.

Her father's eyes turned to her. "Sakura," he said steadily. "Why don't you go help your mother? She has a lot of food to bring out after all."

Sakura looked down and bit her lip before nodding. She wanted to stay, but she really didn't want to disobey her father. Arguing with her mother was regular, but she had never had a falling out with her father before.

She felt Naruto's pleading eyes on her as she walked away and felt guilt pool in her stomach. She was leaving Naruto and Sasuke alone with someone who would no doubt interrogate them during her absence.

It could've been worse though. At least it was her father and not her mother.

After Sakura left, Kizashi's eyes turned to her two teammates.

Naruto gulped and averted his eyes downward while Sasuke calmly met the man's gaze.

Silence ensued for a few moments before Kizashi sighed. "You can relax, kid."

Naruto glanced up and saw the man was staring at him with amusement.

A confused expression broke out on Naruto's face. Wasn't the man supposed to be hating him?

"You know, you don't seem as bad as the rumors say. You're not at all what I expected," Kizashi commented. "You just seem like any other kid to me, it's hard to feel any hate towards you. If this is an act, it's a damn good one." He brushed a hand through his hair and sighed. "I always take rumors with a grain of salt anyway."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, wondering what rumors the guy was referring too. He figured it tied into how the villagers acted towards Naruto during their painting mission.

Naruto opened his mouth to reply, but he didn't know what to say. Doesn't the man think he's a demon? Why would he be so willing to trust him?

After struggling for a few seconds, he said, "Uh... thanks? Mr. Haruno? Sir? Can I call you sir?"

Sasuke turned away to hide a smirk and Naruto felt his face heating up in embarrassment. Even Sakura's father was chuckling at him.

"Go ahead," Kizashi replied amusedly. "No need to be so nervous. I'm just a civilian and I don't necessarily have a problem with you two yet, I've just been wary." His eyes moved towards the kitchen behind them. "It's my wife you should be concerned about. She says it's a dinner, but it's really going to be more like an interrogation." Naruto gulped at that while Sasuke scowled a bit. "I hope you're prepared—she won't be nice about it."

Maybe Naruto should've stayed home after all.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gon and Killua were walking around bored.

"There's no use getting mad over it Killua," Gon told him. "We weren't planning to stay anyway."

Killua huffed. "I know. But when Sakura told me her mother was annoying, I thought she was just being rebellious. But no, her mother is actually a bi—" he cut himself off when he met Gon's innocent eyes.

"A what?" Gon asked curiously.

"...A big problem."

Gon chuckled at that. "Not really. She just seems protective of Sakura."

Killua nodded. "A bit too protective." His mind wandered back to his own mother, and he shivered when he noticed the similarities, even if Sakura's mother wasn't as intense.

"Well what happened, happened. No use getting upset over it," Gon said easily. "How do you think the dinner's going though?"

Killua smirked. "Terribly. The fact that Sakura's mother is like that won't mix well with duckhair. He was already about to give her an attitude back there."

Gon hummed and put a finger on his chin. "I hope Naruto's okay though. He seemed pretty worried, and Sakura's mother might say something mean."

Killua nodded. "No doubt because of the whole fox demon thing. But Naruto's tough, he'll be fine. If her words really start getting to him, he can just leave, right?"

Gon nodded but looked away in thought. "Hey... you think Sakura's mother will out him?"

Killua raised an eyebrow. " _Out_ him?" That phrase could refer to a lot, but he was sure him and Gon weren't thinking the same thing.

"Like, tell Sakura and Sasuke about the fox," Gon said, turning to meet Killua's eye. "I mean, if she really doesn't like Naruto and thinks he's a demon, wouldn't she try to expose him to his teammates somehow? Especially since Sakura's her daughter?"

Killua closed his eyes and shrugged. "Who knows. That woman's more troublesome than the old hag, I'm not even going to begin to try and figure out what she'll do." He turned to Gon. "I don't know about the Uchiha, but I'm sure Sakura won't hate Naruto for a stupid reason like that once she understands the whole situation. If anything, it'll make her more angry at her mother."

Gon smiled at that. "Hmm... you're probably right." He turned away and looked at the night sky. "Hey... how about we go find Shikamaru and Choji to play shogi?"

Killua pondered that for a moment. "I think they have an off-day tomorrow, so they won't have to go to sleep early. But then again... knowing Shikamaru…" he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah," Gon chuckled. "He's probably already asleep."

"Guess we'll just have to wake him up." Killua sighed, turning to smile at Gon. "I remember where Shikamaru lives. Let's go kick the bastard out of bed."

Gon chuckled but nodded. He paused and then remembered something. "Oh! I forgot to tell you what I was thinking about earlier."

Killua's eyes gained recognition and looked at Gon curiously. "So tell me now." Gon's ideas were always interesting after all.

Gon grinned. "Well..."

* * *

This dinner was a disaster.

Despite knowing things would go this way, Sakura was not prepared for the overwhelming tension in the room.

As soon as her and her mother brought the food and sat down, Naruto had began to eat immediately.

Mistake number 1: Naruto began to eat without giving grace.

Sakura's mother sharply reprimanded him, causing the boy to sink into himself more.

Also, she could've sworn her mother mumbled something like "Of course demons don't pray..."

They've been eating their food in relative silence for the past few minutes, with a bit of small talk that her father initiated with the boys. He would ask them things like how well they did in the academy and what their ninja experience has been like so far.

Sasuke kept his replies short and to the point, but Naruto, under the scrutiny of her mother's gaze, had difficulty answering questions without stuttering.

Her father looked at him sympathetically, but Sakura knew he would never oppose his wife. Her mother was controlling like that.

Finally, her father got to the grand prize question:

"What are your plans for the future?"

Sakura tensed, remembering both of her teammates goals, and seeing how both of them could negatively affect her mother's opinion of them. Especially Sasuke's.

But thankfully(or not), it was Naruto who answered first.

"I'm gonna be Hokage!" Naruto proclaimed, seeming like his regular self for the first time that night.

After a moment of silence, he realized what he said and quickly covered his mouth in shock.

Sakura sighed. He probably just blurted that out of habit and didn't realize. She glanced at her father and saw him gazing with interest, but her mother still had her trademark poker face.

"...You? Hokage?" Mebuki questioned.

"Uh... yeah?" Naruto said unsurely. "It's always been a dream of mine."

She scoffed. "Then you should wake up. Or at least drop the act, because there's no way someone of your kind could truly believe that."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. _"Your kind?"_ She wondered. Glancing at Sasuke, she saw his eyes narrowed in slight confusion.

Naruto had widened eyes fearfully, as if he understood what her mother was referring to. What was going on?

"I do believe it," Naruto said, looking away. "You don't have to, but I'll show you some day." He met her gaze in mild defiance.

Sakura couldn't help but smile slightly at that. _"That's the spirit Naruto, don't let her take away your dream."_

Mebuki narrowed her eyes. "Is that so?"

Kizashi was looking between her and Naruto with apprehensiveness. He didn't like conflict, especially now that he sees Naruto as a kid instead of a threat.

Naruto took a deep breath. "Look, I don't mean any disrespect, but what do you really want?" He asked quietly. "You told Sakura to invite us over here to break my will and get me to quit being a ninja or something? Because it's not happening." He met her eyes again. "Many have tried it before."

Sakura's mouth parted. Naruto was just a nervous wreck a few minutes ago, but he was starting to get bold.

Maybe he forgot what she said about her mother getting Ichiraku shut down.

Mebuki eyed him for a moment before looking down at her food and going back to eating as if nothing happened. Slightly thrown off, Naruto looked at Sakura with a confused expression.

Sakura just shrugged. Hell if she knew what her mother was thinking. She has to be the most ninja-like civilian Sakura's ever seen.

Naruto went back to eating, glancing up warily ever so often, and the whole table had lapsed into silence that stretched on for minutes.

Until Mebuki decided to break it.

Putting down her fork, she said, "I don't have to do anything to break your spirit." She met his eye. "It'll break itself."

Every one gave her confused/bewildered looks at that, but she didn't stop.

"You might have a few 'friends' right now, if you even consider them that. But we both know it won't last. It's not in your nature." She wiped her mouth casually with a napkin. "Nobody knows who you really are, not even the ones closest to you. But guess what? Everything that's in the dark will eventually come to light. And when it does..." She met the boy's eye with intensity. "You'll lose everything, everyone. And not only that, you'll realize you never had anything to begin with. You never _deserved_ anything to begin with."

Naruto's expression slowly morphed into horror at the woman's words, sweat trickling down his face. She was getting inside his head, messing with his mind.

"Do you really think you would be allowed to become Hokage? With the danger you pose?" She scoffed. "The Hokage doesn't even trust you enough to leave you unsupervised. Have you really not noticed that you're monitored at almost all times?" Kizashi put his hand on hers, but she slipped in one last comment. "You'll never change your fate. This village is your prison, and you'll do time for _everything_ you've done."

There was a long, silent pause. One in which Sakura could only look at her mother with a mix of confusion, horror and outrage. What gave her the right to say all those things to Naruto? What was she even talking about? What danger does Naruto pose? Why was he monitored?

She slowly glanced at Naruto and saw the boy was looking down with his hair hiding his eyes from view. His mouth was a straight line, not giving away any emotion. She saw that Sasuke was also watching the boy carefully.

After what seemed like hours, Naruto looked up with a forced grin. "Yeah, you're probably right Ms. Haruno." He bowed slightly to Mebuki and Kizashi. "Thank you for having me and thanks for the food, but I just remembered something. Sorry, I have to leave." He slowly got up from the table as everyone watched. Kizashi regarded the boy solemnly, Sasuke had an annoyed expression, Sakura was concerned and Mebuki just continued eating as if nothing happened.

Naruto turned and Sakura knew she had to speak up.

"Wait Naruto!" She called out, turning in her chair to look at him. The boy stopped walking. "You don't have to go! My mother is just a little intense, but you don't have to-"

"It's fine Sakura," Naruto said, giving her a closed-eye grin. "I just... I remembered something I had to do for Iruka-sensei. I'll see you guys tomorrow, right?"

Sakura swallowed but nodded slowly. "Right."

Naruto gave her a thumbs up and bowed once again to her parents before walking out into the hall. After a few moments, they heard the front door close.

For those few moments, Sakura was looking down with her fists clenched painfully in rage.

"...Are you happy now?" Sakura questioned.

She didn't have to specify who she was speaking to, everybody knew.

Mebuki sighed. "Sakura-"

"Are you?" Sakura demanded, lifting her head to meet her mother's eyes. Mebuki looked at her neutrally, no sign of guilt on her face.

"Yes, I am. He's not someone you want to get to involved with," Mebuki told her. "He's dangerous. It's bad enough he's your teammate. This way, it's less likely that he'll try to get close to you."

Sakura slammed her hands on the table, standing up. She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it, shaking her head. "You know what, I can't deal with you right now." She turned and walked out into the hall. "You're the one who told me invite my teammates, but you clearly did it just so you could antagonize Naruto. I can't believe you."

"Sakura, wait!" Kizashi called. By the time he stood up to follow her, they heard the front door shut once again. Sakura had ran after Naruto.

Mebuki and Kizashi both turned to Sasuke.

Sasuke sighed and got up, beginning to walk out. Right before he left the room, he stopped and turned to meet Mebuki's eye.

"In what way is Naruto dangerous?" He asked. It didn't make sense to him, no matter how much he thought about it.

Mebuki narrowed her eyes at him before closing them and turning away. "You're supposed to be a smart boy, a prodigy right? I'm sure you can figure it out."

Sasuke gritted his teeth and turned, walking into the hall. As he was putting on his sandals, he heard Mebuki say one last thing addressed to him.

"The Uzumaki isn't the only one of my daughter's teammates that's dangerous," She called out from the dining room.

Sasuke scoffed and walked out the Haruno household.

People considering Sasuke dangerous? Now that made sense.

Naruto? Not so much.

* * *

Sakura ran through the village streets, wondering where Naruto could possibly have gone. She didn't know where the boy lived, so she decided to check Gon and Killua's apartment instead. Even if he wasn't there, she could ask Gon and Killua to help her find him.

It had taken her a few minutes to get there, but nobody answered when she knocked on the door.

She chewed her bottom lip. _"If he was planning to come here, he would've gotten here already."_ She closed her eyes and tried to feel for any presence inside, but she didn't sense anyone. Not even Gon and Killua were home. She walked across the hall to Bisky's apartment and sensed two people inside. One of them had to be Bisky.

She knocked on the door a few times and waited. After a moment, the door opened and Sakura was greeted by Bisky.

"Hi Sakura!" Bisky greeted with a smile. "How are you doing? Come on in."

Sakura shook her head. "Sorry Bisky, no time. Do you have any idea where Gon and Killua are?"

Bisky shrugged. "If anything, they're probably walking around. They haven't been back in their apartment since they left with your teammate earlier." She turned to look behind her. "Kite! Come over here!"

If Sakura weren't so worried about Naruto, she would've chuckled at the way the woman made demands.

From behind Bisky, she saw the tall, long-haired man walk over with a book about 'Nen theory' in his hand. "Yes?" He said to Bisky.

"Got any idea where Gon and Killua might be?" Bisky asked.

Kite shook his head, now looking at Sakura. "I'm afraid not."

Sakura sighed but nodded at them. "Thanks for your help."

She bid them farewell and Bisky shut the door. She leaned against the wall and took a deep breath, wondering where to go next. Before she left the hall, she heard Bisky and Kite engaging in a mild argument, with Bisky scolding Kite. Something about Nen theory and how Kite was 'thinking about it wrong.'

 _"Is Bisky TEACHING Kite?"_ Sakura wondered in amusement. It was even more hilarious because Kite was the jounin sensei of their team. _"She's teaching the sensei AND the students...?"_

As she descended the stairs, she heard a crash coming from behind her as well as Bisky's loud voice.

 _ **"Scary! She might be worse than Kakashi with his mood shifts!"**_ Inner said.

She wasn't sure whether to doubt that or not.

She ran outside the building, wondering where to go, when a familiar voice spoke behind her.

"Hey."

Sakura whirled around and saw Sasuke leaning back against the front of the building with his arms crossed. She had forgotten all about how she left him back at her house.

"Sasuke? You followed me here?" Sakura asked in confusion. She didn't notice him following, but then again, this was Sasuke.

She wondered why he followed though. She would have expected him to just go home.

Sasuke scoffed. "You ran off too quick to follow. By the time I got outside you were gone." He leaned off the wall and put his hands in his pockets. "I just had a feeling you and the loser would end up here."

Sakura blinked. "You knew that Gon and Killua live here?"

Sasuke tensed slightly but looked away. "I saw them walk into this building once."

Sakura wondered what Sasuke was even doing over here in the first place, but shook the question out her mind. Naruto was more important right now.

"Ok, well, do you have any ideas where Naruto would have gone?" Sakura asked.

He raised a brow at her as if to say 'you're asking me?'

Sakura gave a deep sigh and rubbed her forehead. "He acted all happy, but I know my mother's words got to him. She knows how to get under people's skin and in their head." Very ninja-like indeed.

Sasuke said nothing, just watching her.

Sakura suddenly jolted and met his eye. "Wait! Did she say anything to you? After I left?" She silently hoped that wasn't the case. She just started to make progress with Sasuke, she didn't want it to be ruined so soon.

After a moment, Sasuke shook his head. "No." He turned away from her and began walking. "Come on. I think I know where he might be."

"O-ok," Sakura said, fast-walking to catch up. She considered asking Sasuke what gave him an idea, but decided against it. Sasuke didn't seem to want to talk right now.

And so, they walked in silence, with Sasuke leading and Sakura following. After a while, Sakura recognized the route they were going.

"Hey..." she started, seeing a very familiar building come into view. "You think he's at the academy?" Sakura questioned, glancing at Sasuke. "I mean, I know he mentioned Iruka-sensei, but I thought that was just a lie. You think he really did go to him?" Maybe Iruka-sensei was another adult figure that Naruto looked up to? The man would be a better influence than Kakashi, that's for sure.

Sasuke shook his head and came to a halt. When Sakura looked at him in confusion, he pointed to a tree across the road from the academy.

Sakura didn't understand why he was pointing at the tree until he looked closer. There was a swing hanging from a branch, with a certain blond boy sitting on it, head bowed.

Sakura's feet started moving before she even thought to ask Sasuke how he knew to look there.

"Naruto!" Sakura called, running across the grass to reach the boy.

He turned his head to look at her in shock. "Sakur-" He was enveloped in a hug before he could even finish. "What are you doing here?" He asked in shock.

Sakura flicked him in the forehead. "Coming after you idiot." She huffed. "I knew you didn't have anything to do for Iruka-sensei. What a liar."

Naruto laughed sheepishly. "Yeah... sorry. It was really awkward... I didn't want to mess up the rest of the dinner."

Sakura sighed and leaned against the tree next to him. "Listen Naruto... I don't know what my mother was talking about. She said things like 'what's in the dark will come to light' and you being 'dangerous' but I really don't get it. I'm sure you know what she meant though, right?"

At that, Naruto's face grew grim and he looked away.

Sakura patted him on the shoulder. "Look, I'm not going to ask about it. I know it makes you uncomfortable. But, I want you to know that I'm your friend and I trust you. So if you ever want to talk, I'm here."

Naruto regarded her for a moment before smiling genuinely. "Yeah. Thanks Sakura." He was about to say more but then he saw their black haired teammate walking their direction. Naruto's expression grew a bit guarded. "What's he doing here?" He whispered to Sakura.

Sakura shrugged. "He wanted to help find you, I guess. He's the one who even told me to look here." At Naruto's surprised expression, she smirked. "Seems he knows you better than you think."

"What are you two mumbling about?" Sasuke questioned as he stopped to stand in front of them.

Naruto huffed. "Wouldn't you like to know bastard?"

Sasuke met his eye. "I'd like to know a lot of things. Things about you in particular." Naruto flinched, ready to get defensive until Sasuke spoke again. "But I'll figure it out myself. I'll judge you with my own eyes, not the words of others."

Naruto blinked, watching the boy carefully for a few moments before he smirked good-naturedly. "Right back at ya princess."

While her two teammates were bickering, Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes and smile fondly. These were definitely her teammates, and she could already imagine the crazy adventures she would have with them.

But still, she could tell that her mother's words have affected Naruto. He was a bit more subdued, and he seems to be faking some of his usual personality. She felt anger stir within her.

She wouldn't let anyone break up her growing bonds with her teammates, nor her bonds with Gon and Killua. No matter the reasons.

Naruto, on the other hand, was thinking very different thoughts. His mind kept going through Mebuki's words over and over, even as his mouth was focused on banter with Sasuke. The woman's words went straight to his core, almost like she could see right through him.

 _"Everything that's in the dark will come to light."_

The idea didn't surprise him at all, but made him infinitely fearful.

 _"You'll lose everything, everyone. And not only that, you'll realize you never had anything to begin with."_

He had only just started making bonds a few days ago, and now he realizes that it's very likely he'll lose them one day. And that the only reason he had them in the first place was because of all the secrets he kept.

 _"Nobody knows who you really are, not even the ones closest to you."_

The woman cut right through him with those words. Gon and Killua may know about the fox, but they still don't know his deepest, darkest thoughts and secrets. As much as Naruto would love to blame everything on the fox, he knows that most of the darkness inside him is all his.

He's constantly struggling to stay away from the darker sides of himself, but one day... he might lose. He might break. And that'll be the day that Mebuki is proven right, and everyone he cares about will look at him with disdain. Iruka-sensei, Gramps, Gon, Killua, Sakura, Shikamaru, Choji, Kakashi-sensei, even Sasuke. They'll all hate him, and it'll be all his fault, not the fox's.

After turning away from Sasuke and looking up at the sky, he swore he saw a streak of silver on top of a building before it disappeared. Was there someone there just now...?

 _"Have you really not noticed that you're monitored at almost all times?"_

Figures. That would explain why every time he pulled a prank, ninjas showed up so quickly to chase him. Sometimes they even showed up beforehand to stop the prank.

And then there was the time with Mizuki. Killua and Gon showed up out of nowhere. Did Gramps put them up to following him? Is that why they bothered trying to get close to him to begin with? To watch him close instead of at a distance? The thought made his stomach drop.

How much of his life was even his own?

 _"The Hokage doesn't even trust you enough to leave you unsupervised."_

He stifled a bitter chuckle. It makes sense that Gramps doesn't trust him... not after everything that happened a few years ago. So the man puts ninjas up to following him and monitoring him to make sure he doesn't become a threat to the village again. It'd make sense for Gon and Killua to be in on it too, they're not exactly normal genin. Hell, he wouldn't be surprised if they weren't genin at all, just undercover.

 _"This village is your prison, and you'll do time for **everything** you've done."_

The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that it's true... the village really is like a prison. Locked up in a place where nobody really cares for him anyway... and the ones that do only do so because they don't know him...

Maybe he should just go away? If he's not wanted here, and this is a prison for him, he could just break out, right? He could find a way to sneak out-

 _"No,"_ Naruto thought, his eyes resolved. Gon's, Killua's, Sakura's, and all of his friends' faces flashed in his mind. _"No. I'm not gonna run away, that's the coward's way out. Just because Sakura's mother is right doesn't mean I have to accept it."_ He stared resolutely forward. _"I'll change everything and become Hokage. Prove everyone wrong. I won't let any of my friends down. Even if there's a chance they might turn on me."_

He told himself these words, but it didn't stop the darker thoughts from lingering in the back of his mind. Struggling to push their way forward and make him take a turn for the worst.

All he could do was continue the fight.

* * *

"Hi Mr. Nara!"

Out of all the things Shikaku expected to happen tonight, finding two children caught in one of the traps set up around his house wasn't one of them. Much less one of them greeting him easily as if he wasn't tied up tightly by ninja wire.

"Uh... could you maybe help us out old man?" The white-haired one asked calmly, also seeming unaffected by the ninja wire wrapped tightly around his body.

Shikaku sighed, lazily putting away the kunai he had taken out to be on guard. "What business do you have here?"

"Ah, we just wanted to see Shikamaru," the black-haired one said. "We were gonna get him to go out with us."

"He told us his mother would get on his case for going out late," The white-haired boy added.

Shikaku looked at them dryly. "So... you thought trespassing on a ninja clan's territory to break him out was the logical option?"

The two boys looked at each other before looking back to him.

"Pretty much, yeah," the white-haired one said. "Anything sounds like a good idea when you're bored."

Shikaku sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. When did his son get such troublesome friends?

"Hey, dad," A familiar voice called from inside the house. The door slid open slowly. "Mom wants to know if..."

Shikamaru cut himself off when he saw the situation in his backyard. His father was looking at him with a tired gaze while two boys he knows all too well were tied up in ninja wires against a tree.

"Hey Shikamaru!" Gon called, trying to move his hand to wave.

"Sorry to pop in like this," Killua supplied. "Just couldn't stay away."

Meeting his father's eye, Shikamaru let out a long-drawn sigh. "What a drag..."

From behind him, Choji's head popped out. The boy's eyes instantly locked onto his two friends and he laughed. "Gon! Killua! What are you two doing here?"

"Ah! Choji! We were gonna go find you next!" Gon said.

"Guess you saved us the trouble," Killua commented.

Behind Choji, a bigger man stepped out and looked at the situation, chuckling slightly at Shikaku's expression. He looked down at Choji. "Son, are these yours and Shikamaru's friends?"

Choji nodded while Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately."

"That's Gon, and that's Killua," Choji said, pointing at both boys respectively. He then turned to the boys and put a hand on his father's shoulder. "Guys, this is my dad and that's Shikamaru's dad."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Nara and Mr. Akimichi!" Gon said, once again trying to wave. Killua just nodded his head at them.

Choza smiled at them. "The pleasure is ours, and you can call me Choza." He turned to the silent Shikaku. "Shikaku, release the boys and invite them in for dinner. They're right on time anyway."

"Seems Naruto's not the only one getting invited over for a friendly dinner," Killua whispered to Gon jokingly, causing them to share a laugh.

Shikaku looked at the two boys and sighed, going over to undo the traps. "I'm definitely not telling my wife the real story of how you got here. You'd better go around to the front door."

After they were released, Killua turned to the man with his hands in his pockets. "Nah, we shouldn't intrude. We'll just leave."

"You wouldn't be intruding!" Choji protested.

Choza nodded in response. "Friends of these two are always welcome."

Killua looked away. "Yeah, but..."

"Dad," Shikamaru called out. "These two are the ones me and Choji are always playing Shogi with."

Shikaku's eyes grew interested at that, turning back to look at the boys. After regarding them for a few moments, he nodded.

"Go around the way you came and knock on the front door," he said. "I'll explain to my wife that Shikamaru and Choji invited you over. After dinner, we usually play shogi. You could join in if you like."

Gon beamed while Killua smirked. "Is that a challenge old man?"

Shikaku smirked at him and turned to walk back into the house past the others. "I'll be waiting."

Choza smiled at them. "See you at the table, boys." He turned to followed Shikaku.

Now, it was just Gon, Killua, Choji, and Shikamaru. There was a long pause before Shikamaru broke the silence.

"...What a drag."

The three other boys busted into laughter before Gon and Killua hopped back over the wall, making their way to the front entrance.

"This'll be fun! We'll have to tell Naruto and Sakura about it later," Gon said to Killua.

Killua nodded. "Yeah. I'll have to give them the whole story on how I beat your's, Shikamaru's, Choji's, and their father's asses at Shogi."

The best friends shared a laugh before they arrived at the front door. It seems they were in for a fun night.

* * *

For what seemed like the 100th time that day, Kurapika's phone was ringing. Him and Melody were alone in one of the break rooms due to Melody's goading of him to relax occasionally. She had been using her flute to help relieve some of his stress, but now it seems like even more stress was incoming.

"Who is this?" He answered quickly, wanting to get straight to the point.

" _Hello? Is this Kurapika?_ " A female voice asked over the line.

Kurapika raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with a curious Melody. "Yes, and you are?"

" _Canary. Apprentice Butler for the Zoldycks._ " Kurapika's eyes widened in recognition. " _I'm not sure if you remember, but we met when you visited the Zoldyck Estate_. _I got your number through the Hunter Association._ "

"You'd be hard to forget," Kurapika told her. "You made quite the impression and you helped us get to Killua. So thank you for that."

" _No need, I was simply helping Master Killua's friends._ "

There was a brief pause before Kurapika asked, "I take it this call isn't for reminiscing?"

" _No... it's about Master Killua and his friend Gon. Have you heard about them being missing?_ "

"Yes, I found out a few days ago. Is there something else I don't know?" Kurapika asked, hoping he was wrong. This situation was already complicated and added unwanted stress, he really didn't need more layers.

" _Yes. As far as I know, only three people, including me, know what I'm about to tell you._ "

Kurapika braced himself for the important news and Melody put a comforting hand on his knee. "I'm listening," he said.

He heard Canary take a breath before she spoke again. " _Master Killua and Gon are both in danger, but for two very different reasons. All because of Master Killua's older brother._ "

Kurapika's eyes widened. "Illumi?"

" _Yes. I overheard him speaking to his mother, Lady Kikyo. They both want to drag Master Killua back home and keep him on lockdown, forcing him back into the assassin lifestyle. They said it's safer for him this way because he's been in unnecessary danger ever since he left. Master Illumi even mentioned something about him along with Gon being captured by the Phantom Troupe twice._ "

Kurapika flinched and Melody's hand on his knee squeezed. "So they want to take away his freedom to ensure he stays safe. And him going missing and ending up in an unknown land was the trigger for this." He understood where the family was coming from, but they had a real messed up mentality. How was forcing the boy to be a killer keeping him safe? "But... how is Gon in danger?"

There was a long pause before Canary spoke again, more quietly. " _Master Illumi… considers Gon a threat to Killua's safety, bringing up the reasoning that he's the one who goaded Master Killua to leave his home and that he's the one who gets them into dangerous situations in the first place_."

 _"Not true,"_ Kurapika thought, clenching his fist. _"Them getting captured and held hostage by the Troupe was my fault. I'm the one who let them try to help me... and then my carelessness lead to them willingly getting taken to try and protect me."_

Without him even speaking aloud, it seemed like Melody knew what he was thinking. They made eye contact and she shook her head as if to say ' _It wasn't your fault. They were already trying to go after the Troupe_ _._ '

But Canary wasn't done.

" _He brought up the fact that Gon is the one that brought them to Greed Island to begin with, and that's how they ended up in this situation. He says that if Master Killua keeps following Gon… he'll eventually end up laying down his life for him_."

That was a scary thought. But what was even more scary is that Kurapika is pretty sure he sees where Illumi's logic is going.

"So..." Kurapika took a breath. "What exactly is Illumi planning to do if he encounters Gon while he's trying to find Killua? They're always together."

" _It's not a matter of if. It's when. Master Illumi has taken it upon himself to hunt down both Master Killua_ and _Gon, even if they're separated._ "

Kurapika's eyes widened, even though he had a feeling this was coming. "You don't mean..."

" _I'm sorry, but... Master Illumi…_ "

Kurapika's eyes bled red.

"He's planning to kill Gon."

* * *

 **Chapter 14 End**

Thanks for reading!


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